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, improve employability and prepare young people for the demands of the modern economy.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, where he called for stronger partnerships between government, educational institutions and the private sector to ensure that education translates into jobs, entrepreneurship and economic growth.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the minister, Mr. Ikharo Attah, Alausa made the disclosure during a panel session titled “Building Nigeria’s Future Workforce”, where he outlined the Federal Government’s reforms to align education with labour market demands.
The initiative operates through more than 1,200 accredited training centres and production hubs nationwide.
Alausa said the TVET programme was designed to restore the relevance of technical education by ensuring that training responds directly to employers’ needs and emerging opportunities across the economy.
He explained that following a labour market assessment and skills gap analysis, the government streamlined the programme’s training areas from 82 to 28 market-relevant trades to focus resources on skills with stronger employment and entrepreneurial prospects.
The minister said the programme emphasised practical competence, with about 80 per cent of training devoted to hands-on learning and the remaining 20 per cent to theoretical instruction.
He added that eligible trainees receive a monthly stipend of N30,000, while participating training centres receive N50,000 per learner monthly to support training delivery.
Alausa also disclosed that tuition at federal technical colleges was free, describing the initiative as a means of expanding access to vocational education and equipping young Nigerians for gainful employment, self-employment and enterprise development.
According to him, the programme attracted approximately 1.4 million applications within two weeks of the latest application portal opening, highlighting the demand for accessible skills acquisition opportunities among young Nigerians.
The minister identified the revised national curriculum, which took effect from the 2025/2026 academic session, as another major component of the government’s education reforms.
He said the curriculum review reduced the number of subjects at the senior secondary school level while introducing Digital Technologies and trade subjects to strengthen digital literacy and practical skills.
Alausa further disclosed that the ministry was promoting the use of artificial intelligence to assist teachers with lesson planning and assessment, while ensuring that its application did not undermine children’s cognitive development at the primary school level.
On access to tertiary education, the minister highlighted the role of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, in helping students overcome financial barriers to higher education.
He disclosed that NELFUND had disbursed N372.62 billion to students and participating institutions as of September 29, 2026.
Alausa said the ministry was also working with the National Universities Commission and other stakeholders to promote modern, industry-relevant courses that reflect changing labour market requirements.
Beyond formal qualifications, he stressed the importance of equipping students with entrepreneurial skills to enable them to establish businesses and create jobs.
He revealed that the Entrepreneurial Innovation and Business Incubation Certification programme was being piloted in 14 universities, with plans to extend it to universities nationwide from the next academic session.
The minister urged industry stakeholders to work more closely with government and educational institutions in defining occupational standards, developing 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 discussion was part of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, held under the theme “Growth That Works”.
The summit brought together public- and private-sector leaders to examine policies and strategies for improving Nigeria’s economic performance, productivity and shared prosperity.
Alausa reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to building an education system that connects learning with the productive economy and prepares Nigerian youths to compete in an increasingly technology-driven and skills-based global labour market.
