The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has revealed that only 39 percent of candidates who took the 2025 entrance examination for admission into Federal Technical Colleges scored 50 percent or higher.
Aminu Mohammed, NABTEB’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, announced the figures on Wednesday in Benin City, Edo State, while presenting the results of the recently conducted National Common Entrance Examination.
The result announcement signaled the beginning of a three-day exercise for selecting and placing students into various Federal Technical Colleges nationwide.
According to Mr. Mohammed, out of the total 24,074 candidates who sat for the examination, only 9,389 achieved scores of 50 percent and above.
He further disclosed that just 1.31 percent of the candidates—equivalent to 316 students—scored 70 percent or higher in the technical examination.
“Furthermore, 316 candidates, accounting for 1.31 percent, obtained scores of 70 percent and above, while 14,685 candidates, representing 61 percent, scored below 50 percent. Additionally, eight candidates, representing 0.03 percent, achieved the highest performance ranking,” Mr. Mohammed stated.
He called on stakeholders involved in the selection and placement exercise to ensure that students admitted are those most likely to benefit from the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes offered by the colleges.
“I look forward to a fair, transparent, and merit-based selection process that attracts the most talented and motivated students. By getting this process right, I am confident we can set our students on a path to success and elevate the reputation of our institutions,” he added.
Mr. Mohammed commended the federal government’s renewed focus on technical and vocational education and expressed appreciation for the support of the Minister of Education and the Minister of State for Education in advancing TVET initiatives.
In his remarks, Minister of Education Tunji Alausa urged administrators in the sector to effectively implement government policies designed to improve educational outcomes for children, strengthen technical colleges, and contribute to national development despite existing challenges.
Mr. Alausa, who was represented by Muibat Olodo, Director of Technology and Science Education in the ministry, highlighted the ministry’s efforts to expand access to technical education.
He noted that two new Federal Technical Colleges have been established in Enugu and Plateau States to enhance educational opportunities, with plans underway to create three additional colleges to ensure that each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory eventually hosts a federal technical institution.
The event was attended by principals of federal technical colleges nationwide, officials from the Federal Ministry of Education, NABTEB staff, and other key stakeholders in the education sector.
