Despite operating for over two and a half decades, the Nasarawa State Vocational and Relevant Technology Board (NSVRTB) continues to face significant institutional constraints that impede the effective delivery of vocational education and training. This paper examines the nature, scope and consequences of these constraints, drawing on primary data collected from 312 ex-trainees and 24 key informants across the Board's four training centres in Lafia, Doma, Wamba and Nassarawa local government areas of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Using a descriptive survey design complemented by key informant interviews and Simple Linear Regression analysis, the study finds that the five most critical institutional constraints are: curriculum misalignment with labour market needs; absence of entrepreneurship training; inadequate and obsolete training infrastructure and equipment; limited managerial capacity exacerbated by frequent leadership turnover; and weak industry–employer partnerships. Regression analysis confirmed that limited managerial capacity has a statistically significant negative effect on the effective provision of vocational education (β = −.117, p = .038). Qualitative findings further revealed that bureaucratic bottlenecks in procurement, erratic electricity supply and unstable institutional leadership compound these structural deficiencies. Anchored in Human Capital Theory, the paper argues that institutional effectiveness is a necessary precondition for vocational training to yield its anticipated labour market and entrepreneurship dividends. The study recommends curriculum modernisation aligned with industry needs, mandatory integration of entrepreneurship education, substantial infrastructure renewal, capacity building for management staff, formalisation of industry partnerships and structural reforms to reduce bureaucratic delays