The Federal Government has launched a new capacity-building initiative in partnership with Singapore’s Institute of Education to strengthen the delivery of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET, in Nigeria by equipping instructors with modern teaching and assessment skills.
The initiative, known as the Train the Trainers, Pedagogy & Assessment, Programme, is a 10-day intensive training organised by the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, and the Institute of Education, Singapore.
It is designed to improve the quality of technical education by enhancing the competencies of TVET instructors across the country.
Speaking with journalists during the training in Abuja, the National Coordinator of Special Programmes in the Office of the Minister of Education, Adebayo Onigbanjo, said the programme is part of the Federal Government’s strategy to build a highly skilled workforce capable of driving economic growth and industrial development.
The training is being conducted in two phases. The first cohort comprises 60 TVET instructors drawn from federal and state institutions currently undergoing training in Abuja, while another 60 participants will attend the second phase in Lagos.
Onigbanjo explained that the programme is focused on equipping educators with contemporary pedagogical and assessment techniques that will improve classroom delivery and students’ learning outcomes.
He added that participants are expected to replicate the training in their respective institutions through a cascading model, thereby expanding its impact nationwide.
According to him, the initiative is intended to increase the number of qualified instructors in Federal Technical Colleges and other technical institutions to meet the growing demand for skilled manpower.
He noted that strengthening the capacity of teachers would ultimately produce graduates with practical, industry-relevant skills capable of meeting labour market demands and contributing meaningfully to national development.
Onigbanjo further disclosed that the programme forms part of a broader collaboration between Nigeria and Singapore aimed at developing a new generation of competent technical instructors who will train thousands of students across the country.
“We are working with the Institute of Technical Education Services in Singapore to develop capacity for TVET in Nigeria. This training focuses on pedagogy and assessment, equipping teachers with the best methods for technical instruction,” he said.
While expressing confidence in the programme, he said the knowledge acquired would create a multiplier effect as trained instructors return to their schools to mentor colleagues, thereby strengthening teaching capacity across Federal Technical Colleges.
He also revealed that more than 1.3 million Nigerians registered for technical skills training following the launch of the initiative last year, making the expansion of instructor capacity a national priority.
“We need more trainers. Those being trained today will return to their schools and train their colleagues, allowing us to scale up capacity across the country,” he added.
Also speaking, the Technical Assistant to the Minister of Education on TVET, Dr. Nabila Mohamed, said the programme is designed to transform technical education by shifting from predominantly theoretical instruction to competency-based practical learning.
She explained that participants would be exposed to innovative teaching approaches that promote active student engagement while preparing learners with practical workplace skills.
“The biggest takeaway is making training competency-based. Rather than focusing mainly on theory, teachers will integrate practical skills that prepare students for employment while learning effective methods of delivering those skills,” she said.
The Manager of the Academic Pedagogy Programme at Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services, Choo Poh Lian, explained that the training does not focus on teaching specific trades but on improving instructional methods for practical education.
According to her, participants are learning effective demonstration techniques, student engagement strategies, constructive feedback methods and competency-based assessment aligned with industry expectations.
“We are sharing how Singapore teaches practical skills so that graduates become workplace-ready. We are focusing on pedagogy—how teachers demonstrate, guide students through practical tasks, provide constructive feedback and assess competencies based on industry performance criteria,” she said.
One of the participants, Odebode Adegoke of the Federal Science and Technical College, Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun State, described the programme as timely and impactful.
He said the training had exposed participants to globally recognised teaching approaches that would significantly improve the quality of technical education in Nigeria.
Adegoke noted that the competency-based instructional methods introduced during the programme would make learning more practical, engaging and responsive to industry needs.
He added that exposure to Singapore’s internationally acclaimed TVET model would enable instructors to move beyond conventional classroom teaching by placing greater emphasis on hands-on learning, practical demonstrations and continuous competency-based assessment.
The training programme, which runs from June 29 to July 10, represents another milestone in the Federal Government’s efforts to reposition technical and vocational education as a strategic tool for job creation, industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
