By Aisha Gambo
The Registrar of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, (NABTEB), Dr Muhammad Aminu, has urged students to embrace technical education as a pathway to employment, entrepreneurship and national development.
Dr Aminu gave the advice on Thursday while monitoring the ongoing NABTEB final examinations at Government Technical College, Malali, Kaduna.
He said technical education was the future of Nigeria and encouraged candidates to remain focused on their studies and skills acquisition.
The Registrar assured the students that they were on the right path and urged them not to be discouraged by current challenges.
“Nothing good comes easy. You must work for it. You must struggle for it,” he said.
He advised them to shun shortcuts to success and build their future on hard work, honesty and integrity.
Aminu disclosed that he was a product of technical education, having studied Motor Mechanic at technical school.
He said the practical knowledge acquired laid the foundation for his career and eventual appointment as NABTEB head.
He said the world was increasingly placing more value on practical skills than paper qualifications alone, adding that many graduates remained unemployed while skilled technicians could establish businesses and employ others.
“The world is no longer looking at the number of certificates you have, but what you can contribute to the national economy,” he said.
The NABTEB boss also urged the students to uphold moral and religious values as they pursue academic and vocational excellence.
He recalled that in the 1980s, companies such as Leventis and Arewa Textiles recruited technical school students for holiday jobs, and expressed optimism that Nigeria was returning to an era where technical skills would be in high demand.
He wished the candidates success in their examinations.
