NCEE Enrollment Drops To 15,281 Despite TVET Incentives

A total of 15,281 candidates sat for the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) for admission into Federal and State Technical Colleges across Nigeria, reflecting a sharp decline from the 29,260 candidates who registered in 2025.

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), Dr. Mohammed Aminu Mohammed, attributed the drop in enrollment to the merging of subjects and adjustments aimed at aligning admissions with the carrying capacity of technical colleges nationwide.

He spoke while monitoring the examination in Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, where he also confirmed that results would be released within 21 days.

Mohammed said the examination was conducted across 203 centres nationwide, stressing that it reflects the federal government’s commitment to strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a pathway to youth empowerment, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, and economic self-reliance.

According to him, of the 15,281 candidates, 10,626 were male while 4,655 were female, adding that Enugu State recorded the highest enrollment with 1,506 candidates, while Zamfara State had the lowest with 14 candidates.

He noted that despite the reduction in participation, the examination was conducted smoothly across most centres, with candidates displaying discipline and examination officials ensuring proper coordination and supervision.

Mohammed commended candidates, parents, school administrators, invigilators, supervisors, and security agencies for ensuring the success of the exercise.

He added that measures were put in place to guarantee a transparent and credible examination process nationwide.

The exercise comes amid ongoing efforts by the Tinubu administration to boost TVET enrollment through incentives, including free tuition, a monthly stipend of N22,500 for students, and start-up support packages for graduates of technical colleges.