The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has commenced the 2026 selection and placement exercise for qualified candidates seeking admission into Federal and State Technical Colleges across Nigeria.
The exercise, which began on Monday in Abuja, will run from July 20 to July 22, 2026, and is aimed at ensuring that successful candidates are admitted into technical colleges based on approved Federal Government guidelines.
Speaking at the commencement of the three-day exercise, the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, urged officials to conduct the admission process with transparency, fairness, and professionalism. Represented by the Director of Technology and Science Education, Mrs. Patricia Ogungbemi, the minister described the exercise as a key part of the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Nigeria.
According to him, the selection process is expected to promote merit-based admissions while equipping young Nigerians with practical skills for employment, entrepreneurship, and national development.
The minister also disclosed that the Federal Government has initiated a nationwide validation of student enrolment figures and an assessment of workshop facilities in all Federal Technical Colleges. The exercise, he explained, is intended to generate accurate data for the distribution of workshop equipment as part of immediate interventions before the rehabilitation and modernization of existing facilities.
In addition, Alausa announced that tuition and other charges in Federal Technical Colleges have been reviewed to remove financial obstacles that may discourage students from pursuing technical education.
Earlier, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB, Dr. Mohammed Aminu, explained that the selection and placement exercise serves as the final stage between the entrance examination and admission into technical colleges.
He stated that admissions would strictly follow approved government guidelines and would be based on merit, candidates’ preferred trade courses, available vacancies, equity, and the Federal Character Principle.
Aminu emphasized that candidates would only be admitted into the trade programmes they selected during registration, noting that the board would not assign applicants to courses outside their chosen fields.
He added that the number of students admitted into each institution would depend on the approved carrying capacity of individual technical colleges, with school principals providing admission limits to prevent overcrowding.
Providing statistics from the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), Aminu revealed that 15,290 candidates registered for the examination, while 13,848 candidates eventually participated.
According to him:
- 10,426 candidates (75.29%) scored 50% and above.
- 5,708 candidates (41.22%) scored 70% and above.
The registrar stressed that the credibility of the entrance examination depends on a transparent and objective placement process that guarantees fairness for all qualified candidates.
Aminu also highlighted NABTEB’s progress in digital innovation, revealing that the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination marked the board’s first successful implementation of a Computer-Based Examination (CBE) format.
He noted that results for candidates who took the computer-based examination were released within 72 hours, while results for paper-based candidates were processed within 21 days using the newly introduced NABTEB Aptitude Placement Test (NAPAT) system.
Describing technical colleges as centres for innovation, entrepreneurship, and practical skills development rather than institutions of second choice, Aminu called on governments, parents, school administrators, communities, and development partners to promote technical education and encourage more young Nigerians to pursue vocational careers.
Successful candidates are expected to begin checking their admission status online from Wednesday, following the conclusion of the placement exercise.
