The National Business and Technical Examinations Board has recorded a major improvement in the performance of candidates in its 2026 June/July National Business Certificate and National Technical Certificate examinations, with 81.24 per cent obtaining five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.
The result marks a significant increase from the 68.18 per cent recorded in the 2025 examination and offers fresh encouragement for Nigeria’s technical and vocational education sector.
Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB, Dr Aminu Mohammed, announced the results on Wednesday in Benin, revealing that 79,503 of the 97,863 candidates graded achieved five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
The 2026 performance represents an improvement of more than 13 percentage points compared to the previous year, when 61,104 candidates achieved the same requirement.
According to Mohammed, the improvement reflects the combined efforts of candidates, teachers, schools, parents and other stakeholders in the education system.
“The improvement recorded in the 2026 examination is encouraging and demonstrates the collective efforts of candidates, teachers, schools, parents and the wider education system,” he said.
Beyond candidates who obtained credits in both English and Mathematics, NABTEB recorded an even higher success rate among those who earned five credits and above regardless of whether the subjects were included.
The board said 89,580 candidates, representing 91.53 per cent, obtained five credits and above with or without English Language and Mathematics. This was also higher than the 83.28 per cent recorded in 2025.
The examination also produced thousands of certified craftsmen, highlighting the role of NABTEB in preparing young Nigerians with practical and technical skills.
Mohammed said 24,128 candidates, representing 24.65 per cent of those graded, were certified as craftsmen.
A total of 100,069 candidates registered for the 2026 examinations, while 97,867 eventually sat for them, representing an attendance rate of 97.80 per cent.
Another notable development was the speed of the result release. According to the registrar, NABTEB released the results 52 days after the last paper, which he described as evidence of the board’s commitment to timely service delivery.
The board also reported a decline in examination malpractice.
Mohammed disclosed that 847 candidates were involved in 1,554 malpractice incidents, representing 1.55 per cent of candidates who sat for the examination.
He said the figure was lower than the one recorded in 2025, suggesting that measures introduced by the board to tackle examination malpractice were producing results.
“The board’s measures to curb examination malpractice are yielding positive results,” Mohammed said.
As candidates begin checking their results, the NABTEB registrar advised them to use only the board’s official result-checking platform.
He also warned candidates against individuals who claim they can alter or upgrade examination results.
“No individual has the authority to change a candidate’s legitimately awarded result,” he said.
With an improved pass rate, a high attendance figure and fewer reported cases of examination malpractice, the 2026 NBC and NTC results present a positive picture for NABTEB and the students pursuing business and technical education across Nigeria.
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