By Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
A total of 49,246 out of the 55,532 candidates, representing 85.05 per cent passed this year May/June National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) Ordinary Level Certificate Examinations.
The Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the examination body, Prof. Ifeoma Isiugo-Abanihu who disclosed this while releasing the results in Benin City, reiterated the need for a comprehensive technical and vocational education and training.
Mrs. Isiugo-Abanihu noted that an analysis of the enrollment by trades indicated that candidates put in for 15 engineering, seven construction, nine miscellaneous, four business and 21 general education subjects.
She said that out of the 30,955 candidates who sat for the various trades,16,573 representing 53.54 per cent were certified as Craftsmen while 32,673 candidates, representing 58.84 per cent of the candidates that sat for the examinations scored five credits and above including English and Mathematics.
With a total of 46,120 candidates obtaining five credits and above, representing 83.05 per cent of the candidates that sat for the examination, the registrar explained that the performance was similar to the previous year’s examination results where 32,697 candidates representing 59.72 per cent scored five credits and above.
Isiugo-Abanihu remarked that today’s dynamic labour market required high-level skilled workers such as those nurtured through technical and vocational education and training.
She noted that countries such as Germany, Tanzania, Brazil, Singapore and Malaysia that embrace the virtues of technical and vocational education were known to have experienced technological breakthrough and economic turn-around.
The registrar said: “It is for this reason that the present government has prioritised provision of various skills empowerment programmed for youths as a means of eradicating hunger and extreme poverty and fostering sustainable development in the country.”
Isiugo-Abanihu noted that it was heart-warming to know that the board had in the past one year, experienced an unprecedented number of candidates assessed for the award of the National Skills Qualification as well as the Modular Trade Certificate which is also a skill oriented certificate to foster inclusive education.
