Education
NBTE begins compulsory skill qualification for poly students
By Francesca Hangeior.
The National Board for Technical Education has introduced a Mandatory Skills Qualification as a graduation requirement for all newly reviewed National Diploma and Higher National Diploma curricula.
The board said the introduction is in line with global trends, especially as skill acquisition is now central to the training of youths in polytechnics.
This was disclosed in a statement by the board’s Head of Media, Hajiya Fatimah Abubakar.
Abubakar said diploma holders would now graduate with a National Skills Qualification or its equivalent, as an additional certification.
She said the MSQ is now a requirement for all diploma programmes and must be attained before graduation.
She also noted that the NSQ was a certification system designed to assess and recognise the skills and competencies of individuals in various fields.
“It focuses on vocational skills and is typically obtained through vocational training programmes, apprenticeships, and assessments conducted by approved skill assessment bodies.
“NSQ aims to bridge the gap between formal education and industry needs by providing individuals with practical skills relevant to the job market.
“The dual certification of obtaining both an NSQ and an ND in Nigeria offers several benefits, including a comprehensive skill set, increased employability, versatility, professional recognition, and career progression,” she said.
The NBTE head of media further said that the dual certification opens doors to career advancement opportunities as well as provides a strong foundation for upward mobility and career growth.
”The dual certification offers a competitive edge in the job market, enhances career prospects, and equips individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in their chosen fields.
”This dual certification is expected to significantly enhance employability. However, NBTE is aware of the limited skills training facilities in our polytechnics and is therefore allowing a phased introduction.
”The guideline provides polytechnic administrators with methods for implementing this new provision. Quality assurance is crucial in ensuring the effectiveness and relevance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes”, she noted.
She added that assessors would play a vital role in this process, through evaluating the quality of education and training provided in various technical and vocational fields.
She said their role will include assessing standards, learning outcomes, and the overall performance of Skills Development Centres in polytechnics and other TVET institutions.
“Under the MSQ, HND level students who have acquired NSQ at the ND level can enrol in Quality Assurance Assessor (QAA) training as an alternative to another NSQ.
“The QAA certificate will be valuable in the workplace, as many industries require on-the-job training,” she said.
She noted that several challenges, including skill shortages, a mismatch between industry needs and training, and a lack of synergy between industry, government agencies, and TVET institutions characterised Nigeria’s technical manpower situation.
By Francesca Hangeior
Out of 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), over 1.5 million of them scored less than 200 in the exam.
The statistical analysis of 2025 UTME result released by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday indicated that only 420,415 candidates scored above 200 in the 2025 edition of the UTME.
While 4756 candidates scored above 320, 7658 candidates scored between 300 and 319.
In the statement accompanying the data, JAMB said “40,247 underage candidates were permitted to demonstrate their exceptional abilities. However, only 467 of these candidates (1.16%) achieved scores that meet the threshold for exceptional ability as defined for the UTME, with their performance in the subsequent three stages still pending.”
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has announced the disbursement of the 2024 scholarship to 164 indigent students selected from branches of the union across the country.
This was revealed by the Convener of ASUU Grant, Research and Publications Committee, Professor Christopher Piwuna on Saturday during a press conference at the Sa’adu Zungur University, Yuli Campus, Bauchi State.
Piwuna explained that of the 79 ASUU branches, two successful applicants were selected in every university through a rigorous screening process.
He said each recipient of the scholarship went home with a non-refundable cash-backing of N200,000.
The Convener, who was represented by the former Coordinator ASUU Bauchi-Zone, Lawan Abubakar, said gender balance was reflected in the selection of the beneficiaries.
He disclosed that physically challenged beneficiaries were selected to support them to access tertiary education.
“Over the last two years, ASUU spent about N164, 800,000 on scholarships for indigent students in universities across the country.
“Our Union has been managing the Gani Fawehinmi scholarship for years, we decided to not only organise that of Chief Gani but institute our own.
“This creation was also shaped by the government’s unrelenting attacks on students and their parents through ‘school charges.’
“When we argued that NELFUND scholarship should be a grant, we meant it because we are not asking any parent or beneficiary of our indigent support to repay at a later day,” Piwuna said
Akelicious gathered that to qualify for this scholarship, interested applicants need to prove their indigent economic status and an excellent Cumulative Grade Average Point to the union.
JAMB has announced the date for the release of 2025 UTME Results.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disclosed that the results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will be released after the completion of post-examination analyses and other standard procedures.
The exam body made this known via its official social media handle on Tuesday afternoon, calling for patience among candidates who sat for the exam.
2025 UTME results to be released as soon as all post examination analyses and other procedures are completed. Candidates are enjoined to be patient please.
— JAMB (@JAMBHQ) April 29, 2025
The 2025 UTME commenced on Thursday, April 24, and will continue until Monday, May 5.
The nationwide exercise is being conducted across accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, with over 2,030,627 candidates registered for this year’s examination.
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