The Federal Government has the Governing Board of the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, as part of efforts to transform Nigeria’s technical and vocational education subsector.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who inaugurated the Board in Abuja on Thursday, reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to building a globally competitive workforce through skills development.
Alausa described the event as a major milestone in the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He stressed that the administration is repositioning Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET, as a strategic driver of industrialisation, economic competitiveness, youth empowerment and sustainable national development.
The Minister said the government’s reforms are designed to shift Nigeria’s education system from an overreliance on paper qualifications to producing skilled, innovative and job-ready graduates.
According to a statement by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, the Minister said the appointment of the new board reflected the Federal Government’s confidence in the members’ professionalism, integrity and capacity to provide strategic leadership that would deepen reforms across the technical education sector and strengthen NBTE’s regulatory mandate.
Alausa emphasised that TVET is no longer an alternative to university education but a national priority essential for Nigeria’s industrial future.
He noted that meaningful industrialisation cannot be achieved without a strong pool of technicians, technologists, artisans, automation specialists, machine operators and other skilled professionals capable of driving manufacturing, innovation and productivity.
He explained that the Federal Government has therefore prioritised investments in technical colleges, polytechnics, colleges of education and universities to bridge the gap between education and industry while equipping learners with practical, lifelong skills that enhance employability, entrepreneurship and global competitiveness.
The Minister outlined four major priorities for the newly inaugurated board, beginning with the need to provide strategic leadership, policy direction and effective oversight while allowing the Executive Secretary and management to handle the day-to-day administration of the agency.
He also directed the board to fast-track the implementation of the Recognition of Prior Learning, RPL, framework in partnership with the Industrial Training Fund and other stakeholders to formally certify the competencies of skilled artisans under the National Skills Qualification Framework.
According to him, the initiative will improve employability, expand access to finance, enhance opportunities for government contracts and promote labour mobility across the ECOWAS sub-region.
On curriculum reform, Alausa called for the adoption of Outcome-Based Education that aligns programmes with the demands of Industry 4.0 through the integration of digital technologies, automation, artificial intelligence, green technologies and advanced manufacturing systems.
He also urged institutions regulated by NBTE to place greater emphasis on applied sciences, engineering, technology and innovation while gradually phasing out non-technical programmes that fall outside their statutory mandate.
The Minister further charged the board to uphold transparency, accountability and fiscal discipline, ensuring that public investments, intervention funds, research initiatives and capital projects deliver measurable improvements in skills acquisition, institutional performance, youth employment and national productivity.
Responding on behalf of the board, its Chairman, Prof Babatunde L. Salako, thanked President Tinubu and the Minister for the confidence reposed in the members, describing the inauguration as the beginning of a new era for technical education in Nigeria.
Salako pledged the board’s full support for the Renewed Hope Agenda and the ongoing reforms in the education sector, promising to expand opportunities for young Nigerians to acquire relevant technical skills, promote innovation and produce a new generation of entrepreneurs and job creators.
He also stressed the need to change public perception of technical education, saying TVET should be recognised as a respected pathway to rewarding careers and national development.
Also speaking, NBTE Executive Secretary and Secretary to the Governing Board, Professor Idris M. Bugaje, expressed appreciation to the Minister for inaugurating the board after more than five years without one.
He described the development as a landmark achievement and assured the Federal Ministry of Education of the board’s commitment to supporting the successful implementation of the administration’s TVET transformation agenda.
Formally inaugurating the board on behalf of President Tinubu, Alausa reminded members that their appointment was a call to national service, urging them to discharge their responsibilities with integrity, vision and dedication.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening technical and vocational education as a catalyst for industrialisation, innovation, job creation and sustainable economic growth, assuring Nigerians that every investment in TVET would be directed towards building a skilled workforce capable of meeting the demands of a modern economy.
