The Federal Government has conducted Nigeria’s first-ever National Common Entrance Examination into Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Class 1, with a total of 29,256 candidates participating nationwide across Federal and State Technical Colleges.
This was announced during a monitoring exercise held on June 14, 2025, by the Federal Ministry of Education, marking a bold step toward repositioning technical education in the country. According to Dr. Muibat Adenike Olodo, Director of Technology and Science Education, who was represented by Mr. Kehinde Osinake, Deputy Director of Vocational Studies, the initiative covers all Federal and 32 State Technical Colleges.
“The examination recorded a total of 29,256 candidates across Federal and State Technical Colleges nationwide, with 22,995 applying specifically to Federal Colleges,” he said. She emphasized that the government’s goal is to equip Nigerian youths with practical and industry-relevant skills in order to reduce unemployment and shift the economy from consumption-driven to productivity-driven.
National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), Dr. Aminu Mohammed, described the entrance exam as a critical policy shift. “Approximately 30,000 JSS3 students participated nationwide,” he stated.
He noted that candidates will be placed in various vocational trades, including electrical installation, tailoring, and solar maintenance, based on exam scores and aptitude assessments.
“Skills acquisition is not merely paper qualifications but holds the key to national economic growth,” Dr. Mohammed said. He added that successful candidates would be given starter packs and granted access to Bank of Industry loans to enable them to establish small-scale businesses or gain employment.
Dr. Mohammed revealed that the Ministry, under the leadership of Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, is planning to transition future entrance examinations to a computer-based testing (CBT) format. The results of the 2025 entrance exam are expected to be released within three weeks.
The Federal Ministry of Education has urged parents, teachers, industry leaders, and development partners to support this new direction in education. The entrance exam marks a key move by the Federal Government to institutionalize TVET as a core path in Nigeria’s secondary education system, offering young Nigerians practical pathways to economic independence and national development.
