BENIN CITY — The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has released the results of the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), with 75.29 per cent of candidates scoring 50 per cent and above, signaling a strong performance despite a sharp drop in enrolment.
Announcing the results at a press conference on Tuesday, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB, Dr. Mohammed Aminu Mohammed, disclosed that 13,848 candidates sat for the examination out of 15,290 who registered nationwide.
“Out of the 13,848 candidates who sat for the examination, 10,426 candidates (75.29%) scored 50% and above, while 5,708 candidates (41.22%) scored 70% and above,” he said. “A total of 3,422 candidates (24.71%) scored below 50%, while 31 candidates (0.22%) attained scores of 96% and above.”
He further revealed that male candidates dominated participation, accounting for 69.57 per cent of total enrolment, while females represented 30.43 per cent.
“Out of those who enrolled, 13,848 candidates (90.57%) sat for the examination, while 1,442 candidates (9.43%) were absent,” Mohammed added.
The NABTEB boss, however, expressed concern over a significant decline in enrolment compared to the previous year, noting that the 2026 figure dropped by 13,970 candidates from 29,260 recorded in 2025, representing a 47.74 per cent decrease.
Despite the decline, he announced that registration for the supplementary NCEE would commence before the end of July 2026 to enable more candidates to participate.
The examination was conducted nationwide on June 13, 2026, across 34 Federal Technical Colleges and 168 State Technical Colleges in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, under what he described as peaceful conditions and strict compliance with quality assurance guidelines.
On trade enrolment, Mohammed said candidates registered in 28 trades grouped into five clusters, including mechanical, electrical, construction, creative and culinary, and agricultural technology trades.
He identified Electrical Installation and Maintenance Practice as the most popular trade with 3,870 candidates, followed by Computer Hardware and GSM Repairs (2,857), Catering Craft Practice (1,780), Bricklaying and Concreting (1,553), Automobile Mechanics (1,156), and Fashion Design and Garment Making (940).
However, some trades recorded minimal interest, including Tiling and Cladding with one candidate, Social Media Content Creation with two, and Fish Farming with three candidates.
Mohammed urged candidates to check their results through approved NABTEB channels, assuring that the process is “seamless, secure and user-friendly.”
“The released results will serve as the basis for admission into Federal and State Technical Colleges, subject to the guidelines of the Federal Ministry of Education,” he said.
He added that the board, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and principals of technical colleges, would soon commence the 2026 selection and placement exercise to ensure merit-based and transparent admissions.
Highlighting the importance of the examination, Mohammed described the NCEE as a strategic national assessment for identifying candidates for technical education, which he said is critical to Nigeria’s industrialisation and economic growth.
“These institutions play a critical role in developing the skilled workforce required to drive technological advancement, innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable economic development,” he noted.
He reaffirmed NABTEB’s commitment to integrity, transparency and professionalism, while commending stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Education, security agencies and examination officials, for the successful conduct of the exercise.
