National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has announced the registration date and examination schedule for the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) into Technical Colleges across the country.
Speaking at the Board’s headquarters in Benin City, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB, Dr. Mohammed Aminu Mohammed, said the entrance examination would be conducted nationwide on Saturday, 6 June 2026, at approved examination centres across Nigeria.
Dr. Aminu disclosed that registration for the examination into Federal Technical Colleges would commence on Monday, 26 January 2026, and close on Sunday, 24 May 2026.
Reaffirming the readiness and institutional capacity of the Board to deliver a smooth, transparent and hitch-free registration exercise, Dr. Aminu said technical and vocational education and training, TVET, remained a critical pillar of Nigeria’s education and skills development agenda.
He said NABTEB had put in place comprehensive administrative and technological measures to ensure that prospective candidates, parents, guardians and school administrators experience a user-friendly and stress-free registration process.
According to him, “These measures are designed to eliminate bottlenecks, enhance access nationwide, and uphold the highest standards of examination integrity.
“In furtherance of this objective, NABTEB has approved an extended registration timeline spanning four months, a deliberate policy decision intended to allow adequate preparation time for candidates while minimising congestion on the registration platform.
“The policy decision will also reduce financial and logistical pressure on parents and guardians and enable schools to properly guide candidates through the registration process.”
The Registrar warned prospective candidates and parents against the use of unauthorised agents, cyber cafés or third-party platforms for registration.
“All applications must be processed exclusively through NABTEB’s official portal.
“Candidates and guardians are advised to complete their registration well ahead of the deadline to avoid last-minute challenges,” he said.
He reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to professionalism and transparency, adding that NABTEB remained focused on expanding access to technical education while safeguarding the credibility of its examinations.
Mr Mohammed also encouraged Nigerians to take advantage of opportunities offered by technical and vocational education and training, describing it as a pathway to employable skills, entrepreneurship and economic self-reliance.
“Technical and vocational education and training equip young people with the practical competencies required for national development.
“Nigerians are encouraged to choose skills, choose opportunity and choose a secure future,” he said.
He added that NABTEB would continue to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to strengthen skills-based education and support Nigeria’s human capital development goals.
Enrollment at Federal Technical Colleges surged last year by more than 300 per cent after President Bola Tinubu announced incentives for students interested in TVET, including free tuition, free feeding, free accommodation and a monthly stipend of N22,500. The Board also urged senior government officials to avoid intimidation of subordinates during the exercise to protect fairness and confidence nationwide overall.
