The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has released the results of the Ordinary and Advanced Levels Craft Certificate Examinations held for private candidates between November 6 and December 9, 2023.
The results comprised the National Business Certificate (NBC)/National Technical Certificate (NTC) and the Advanced National Business Certificate (ANBC)/Advanced National Technical Certificate (ANTC), reports The Nation.
Among the 39,478 candidates who participated in the NBC/NTC examinations, 28,137 obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics, representing 71.27 percent.
Also, 37,476 candidates scored five credits and above, whether or not including English Language and Mathematics, representing 94.93 percent.
The performances were slightly lower than those of the 2022 November/December results, where 21,103 candidates, representing 75.96 percent, obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics, and 26,561 candidates, representing 95.61 percent of all the candidates that sat for the examinations obtained five credits and above, with or without English Language and Mathematics.
NABTEB’s Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Ifeoma Isiugo-Abanihe, disclosed today while releasing the results at the board’s national headquarters in Ikpoba Hill, Benin, Edo State.
Isiugo-Abanihe also revealed that the board had put in place the electronic process of issuing certificates to candidates online, without wasting time, with NABTEB equally making available electronic certificates of all previous examinations conducted by the board.
She said: “Analyses of candidates’ enrolment for the examinations indicate that total enrolment was 43,594 candidates, consisting of 26,004 males and 17,590 females, who registered for the examinations in 1,746 centres.
“Enrolment figures and performance of candidates in the examinations further indicate that a total of 43,502 candidates sat for the examinations, representing 99.79 per cent of the total enrolment. Out of 34,954 candidates that sat for various Trades at the Crafts level, 14,389 candidates, representing 41.17 per cent were certified as Craftsmen. This is lower than the 2022 performance, where 62.71 per cent were certified as Craftsmen.
“At the Advanced level, out of 3,829 candidates that sat for various Trades at the Master Crafts level, 2,099 candidates, representing 54.82 per cent were certified as Master Craftsmen. This also is an improvement over the 2022 performance, where 48.63 percent were certified at Master Crafts level.”
NABTEB’s registrar/CEO also stated that the business of conducting national examinations was a challenging one, but remained thankful to God that the board had continued to conduct successful and credible examinations every year, despite all odds.
She revealed that NABTEB had continued to strengthen its quality assurance mechanisms, including measures to checkmate examination malpractice, with the efforts now yielding desirable results.
Isiugo-Abanihe said: “For the examinations under reference, 246 candidates, representing 0.57 percent of the total candidates that sat for the examinations, were found to be involved in examination malpractice. Comparatively, 123 candidates, representing 0.39 percent of the total candidates that sat for the 2022 November/December certificate examinations were established to have been involved in examination malpractice, which implies a slight increase in malpractice incidences.
“The board will continue to make more efforts by stepping-up training of examination personnel, and the use of technology, to further check examination fraud.”
NABTEB’s registrar/CEO also stated that there was a dire need for increased emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), at all levels in Nigeria.
She said: “The principal objective of TVET is to train youths and adults alike, preparing them to develop relevant skills needed for today’s labour market, and for academic progression. Once again, let me remind you that NABTEB is poised to conduct examinations and assessments leading to the award of vocational and business qualifications. Its curriculum and examination structures include a wide range of Trades and general education subjects, which prepare candidates to meet the dual purposes of the world of work and academic progression.
“The global economy today offers Nigeria new opportunities to adopt TVET, technology, and science as veritable tools for national growth and development. This and many others are the concerns of the present administration, and the Honourable Minister of Education is vigorously championing the realisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, in the newly-packaged Roadmap for the Nigeria Education Sector.”
Isiugo-Abanihe also stated that there was the need to frontally address these reoccurring challenges, to usher in the desired development that was due to be achieved through increased access to TVET in Nigeria, including a grossly inadequate number of technical colleges, compared to the number of conventional secondary schools, especially in some states; and inadequate reward system for learners and graduates of TVET, resulting to low enrolments in the programmes.
She also expressed displeasure over the lack of technical manpower, equipment, and materials for effective practical activities and training; the dearth of qualified technical teachers, many of whom had retired without replacement; and the increasing cost of materials and equipment; as well as inadequate funding for TVET programmes.
NABTEB’s registrar/CEO also revealed that registration of candidates for the 2024 in-school examinations was ongoing while urging all concerned stakeholders, especially parents and guardians, to take advantage of the enormous opportunities that various qualifications issued by the board offered, thereby registering their children and wards.
She stated that the dual benefits of the qualifications – career progression and academic advancement, could not over-emphasized.
Isiugo-Abanihe disclosed that the board had a large network of field offices in all 36 states and the six zones of Nigeria, as well as a liaison office in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, which according to her, could be utilised by prospective candidates and stakeholders.
