By Kingsley Eben Enasco

The National Business and Technical Examinations Board, ( NABTEB) has disclosed that out of the 69,472  candidates that enrolled for the May/June 2016 NBC/NTC examinations nationwide, 38,280 candidates have five credits and above with English Language and Mathematics, representing 55.93% while 54,485 have five credits and above with or without English Language and Mathematics representing 79.61% of those examined.

Registrar/Chief Executive of NABTEB, Prof. (Mrs.) Ifeoma Mercy Isiugo Abanihe, gave the hint while briefing newsmen in Benin City, yesterday.

According to the Registrar, a total of 69,472 candidates who  enrolled for the examinations nationwide, had 15 Engineering Trades, 7 Construction Trades, 9 Miscellaneous Trades, totaling 35, while 16 General Education subjects were also registered for by the candidates.

She noted that NABTEB as a registered examination body, has witnessed a significant improvement this year compared to the previous years.

“Comparatively, a total of 21,304 representing 30.38% were certified as craftsmen in 2016, while in 2015, 19,000 representing 24.73% were certified as craftsmen”, she said.

The prof. said for the nation to be technically advanced, the need to vigorously encourage students to enroll for NABTEB examinations cannot be overemphasized .

The NABTEB boss noted that vocational activities at the early stage of education should be seen as a strategy for catching them young in the world of technological development, adding that to achieving that, the  new basic curriculum should be fully implemented as such would encourage future generations to be technologically inclined.

She urged the three tiers of government to embark on youth empowerment programmes through which the working class and out of school candidates would have the opportunity to learn a trade for a living.

She said the training could be through skill acquisition programmes to increasing the standard of living, reduce cost of living, improving labour force and life expectancy.

She said other alternative ways to the acquisition of technical and vocational  education and training such as vocational enterprise institutions, innovative enterprise institutions should be established by LGAs, states and federal  government to provide opportunities for all.

While commending the president Mohammadu Buhari for his foresight and drive in the area of revamping the nation’s economic, she said concerted efforts must be made by all stakeholders to wage war against youth restiveness and unemployment problems in our nation through the promotion of technical and vocational education and training truly supported by the present administration.