Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has reaffirmed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to expanding non-formal education as a strategic tool for job creation, youth empowerment and skills development across the country.
Alausa stated this during a special plenary session moderated by Prince Edward at the ongoing Education World Forum, EWF, in London, United Kingdom.
The minister explained that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, was intensifying efforts to empower out-of-school children through informal learning programmes, while also equipping students in formal institutions with entrepreneurial and vocational skills.
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser, Media and Communications, to the Minister of Education, Mr Ikharo Attah, the session focused on the importance of non-formal education, soft skills acquisition and industry participation in improving employability and individual wellbeing.
Other panelists at the session included Ontario’s Minister of Education, Paul Calandra; Secretary of State for Education in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Raquel Teixeira; and International Youth Representative of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award Foundation, Andrea Chakma.
Speaking during the session, Alausa said Nigeria had developed a broad range of informal education programmes targeted at out-of-school youths, adults and vulnerable groups to bridge literacy gaps and provide employable skills.
“What we are doing in Nigeria is because we have a lot of out-of-school children. We have to find a way that we can quickly get them a kind of non-formal education,” the minister said.
He disclosed that the government had introduced an Accelerated Basic Education Programme with a dedicated curriculum designed to help out-of-school children catch up academically while gaining practical knowledge.
“We’ve heavily focused on technical vocational education, which is still a form of formal education but in a non-formal setting to give people that have gone to school other skill sets that they can use to benefit themselves and their communities,” he added.
The minister highlighted several flagship initiatives of the ministry, including the Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET, programme, which provides tuition-free vocational training, stipends and start-up support aimed at boosting entrepreneurship and closing skills gaps.
He also referenced the National Policy on Skills Development, which promotes flexible learning pathways through digital literacy, vocational training and hands-on practical skills for out-of-school youths and adults.
Other interventions mentioned include nationwide mass literacy, adult and non-formal education programmes, as well as the Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education initiative designed to integrate traditional Quranic education with vocational and basic learning.
Alausa further disclosed that entrepreneurial and innovation training had been infused into tertiary and vocational education programmes to prepare young Nigerians for the modern economy.
“We are also looking at the area of digital technology to train them and equip them with digital skills,” he said.
According to the minister, the ultimate objective of the reforms is to equip Nigerian youths with “skills for the present and skills for the future.”
He also commended the Duke of Edinburgh for visiting Nigeria in November 2025 and noted that Nigeria remains an active participant in the Duke of Edinburgh International Award Foundation.
