Jane Salihu
The Federal Government has enrolled nearly 250,000 Nigerians in its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme as part of efforts to bridge the skills gap and improve employment opportunities across the country.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during a panel session titled “Building Nigeria’s Future Workforce” at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, where he outlined government initiatives aimed at aligning education with labour market demands.
Alausa said the programme operates through more than 1,200 accredited training centres and production hubs nationwide, providing practical skills to prepare Nigerians for employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship.
He explained that the government had reduced the number of training areas from 82 to 28 following a labour market and skills gap analysis to ensure that vocational training responds directly to employers’ needs and emerging economic opportunities.
According to him, approximately 80 per cent of the training focuses on practical learning, while the remaining 20 per cent covers theoretical instruction.
The Minister added that eligible trainees receive a monthly stipend of ₦30,000, while participating training centres receive ₦50,000 per learner monthly to support training delivery.
He also disclosed that the programme attracted approximately 1.4 million applications within two weeks of the latest application portal opening, reflecting the demand for skills acquisition opportunities among Nigerians.
Alausa said tuition remained free at federal technical colleges, noting that expanding access to vocational education was essential to equipping young Nigerians with the skills required to secure jobs and establish businesses.
He identified curriculum reform as another key component of the government’s efforts to prepare students for the changing demands of the economy.
The Minister explained that the revised national curriculum, which took effect from the 2025/2026 academic session, introduced Digital Technologies and trade subjects while reducing the number of subjects at the senior secondary school level.
On the use of emerging technologies, Alausa said the Ministry was promoting artificial intelligence to support teachers in lesson planning and assessment, while ensuring that its application did not undermine children’s cognitive development at the primary school level.
He further disclosed that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had disbursed ₦372.62 billion to students and participating institutions as of September 29, 2026, to help reduce financial barriers to tertiary education.
Beyond technical training and access to higher education, the Minister stressed the importance of entrepreneurial skills in enabling graduates to create jobs rather than depend solely on paid employment.
He disclosed that the Entrepreneurial Innovation and Business Incubation Certification programme was being piloted in 14 universities, with plans to expand it across universities from the next academic session.
Alausa called for stronger partnerships between government, educational institutions and employers, urging industry stakeholders to participate in developing occupational standards, shaping curricula, assessing practical competencies and providing workplace training opportunities.
He maintained that the success of education reforms should be measured not only by enrolment and graduation figures but also by the number of graduates and trainees who secure employment, establish viable businesses, improve their earnings and contribute to national productivity.
The panel session was part of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group under the theme “Growth That Works.” The summit brought together public and private sector stakeholders to discuss strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s economic performance, productivity and shared prosperity.
