By Favour Nnabugwu

Not less than 88,000 candidates sat for the ongoing 2022 National Business and Technical Examinations Board, NABTEB Certificate examination across the country.

The Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB, Ifeoma Isiugo Abanihe, who spoke while while monitoring the examination in some secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory, said there had been tremendous increase of enrollment in the past five years.

Some of the schools she monitored were Federal Government College, Orozo and Government Technical College, Garki, Abuja.

“The surge began in 2015 when the examinations’ body first recorded 55,000 enrolments, moving to 83000 in 2018″

She warned against any discriminatory art  against the certificate, stated that they henceforth not condone such action by institutions found involved in the practice.

She said,”In 2022,about 88,000 candidates applied to write the NABTEB examination nationwide.

“Starting from 2018, it was about 55,000 candidates, but this year you can see last year was 83,000 plus so there has been steady increase in enrollment and I think it is because of the realisation that TVET is the way to gom

“In the world today there is need for skills acquisition there is need for empowerment in skills, self reliance, and it’s at the bottom of development and that is why there’s more realisation that is a very, very crucial aspect of education.”

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who spoke through his representative and Director, Human Resources of the ministry, David Gende ,called for an end to the demeaning of NABTEB certificates.

“Skill acquisition is what the government is promoting to take over the Nigerian business and technical workspace.”

“People need to stop demeaning this very certificate, so that people can pick up the skills that are required. We need to stop those who are taking over our space, you know if those space were available, the young ones who cannot continue after this level, at least have some skills to carry on and take over the space,”he further said.

Gender said government was presently directing students towards the sector “as option for those who cannot fit into the formal sector.”

“That is the way to go. And that is where we are directing our students to go. Those who cannot fit into other professional areas,there are other sound options that we know are acceptable anywhere, and even contributing greater to the development of our country”,he added.