NABTEB exams now match WAEC, NECO standards — registrar

The Registrar and Chief Executive of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), Dr. Mohammed Aminu Mohammed, has affirmed that NABTEB examinations have reached the same standard as those conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO), and other national examination bodies.

Dr. Mohammed made the disclosure while monitoring the ongoing 2025 NABTEB exams at Government Technical College, Malali, Kaduna State.

According to him, more than 89,000 candidates are taking part in this year’s examination across the country, marking a significant rise from the over 60,000 who registered in 2024.

He noted that in response to security concerns in some regions, several state governments had proactively relocated candidates from volatile areas to safer locations to ensure smooth conduct of the exams.

He particularly praised the Kaduna State Government and Governor Uba Sani for relocating candidates from Kajuru Local Government Area to Kaduna city without any formal request from NABTEB.

“I must sincerely commend the Kaduna State government. Without any prompting, the governor ensured that all candidates from Kajuru were safely moved to write their exams in Kaduna city.

“It’s a commendable effort and an example worthy of emulation by other states,” Dr. Mohammed said.

He encouraged other states grappling with insecurity to adopt similar measures, noting that NABTEB had advised the Zamfara State Government to replicate Kaduna’s model by relocating candidates in high-risk rural communities to safer urban centres.

During his visit, the registrar also lauded the smooth and credible conduct of the exams at the Malali centre but expressed concern over the inadequate infrastructure.

He observed that some students were forced to write their exams while standing or squatting due to a shortage of seats.

“It is worrisome to see students writing exams in such conditions. This kind of situation creates room for malpractice.

“But I’ve spoken with the principal, and we’re starting a working relationship to address these issues.

“By this time next year, I believe this centre will witness significant improvement,” he assured.

The Principal of Government Technical College, Malali, Mr. Auta Monday, confirmed that 169 candidates were registered at the centre this year.

While acknowledging the infrastructural challenges, he said the exam process had been seamless so far.

“So far, the exams have been going smoothly despite our infrastructure challenges. We don’t have enough seats, but the materials arrived on time, and we’ve taken charge of the process,” he noted.

Mr. Monday also described the registrar’s visit as timely and impactful, saying it offered valuable insight for innovation and development.

He revealed plans to establish a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centre in the college and upgrade its computer centre in preparation for future computer-based testing.

“We won’t miss this opportunity,” he added.