The registrar and chief executive officer of the National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB), Dr Muhammad Aminu, has called for greater investment in technical and vocational education to tackle the social and economic challenges that are militating against Nigeria.
He maintained that promoting technical and vocational skills training was a key driver of contemporary social and economic development. I have the potential to reframe Nigeria’s trajectory toward a modern, resilient economy and society.
Aminu made the call during his tour of NABTEB examination centres in Jigawa State.
He said the high unemployment rate and the significant gap in technology and the technical workforce required for national growth can be addressed by promoting technical and vocational education in Nigeria.
Speaking to hundreds of students writing the NABTEB examination at the Ringim Examination Centre, he charged them to work hard and pass their exams, describing the process as a foundation that would shape their future.
Dr Aminu noted that graduates of technical and vocational schools have never been a liability or job seekers. H emphasised that their skills always attract employment and make them self-reliant.
“Today, the global economy values skills, not certificates.
The rest of the world has advanced in this perspective, while unfortunately, Nigeria is being left behind with social and economic uncertainty,” he said.
“However, I am optimistic that with you, the students of technical schools, coming up, and with the creation of a more enabling environment that promotes skill education, Nigeria’s future can be reframed for greater prosperity.”
He assured the students and the general public that NABTEB will continue to work hard in designing examinations that will enable Nigerian children to gain admission into higher institutions across the world, while also addressing the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria.
