The Federal Government has launched a major shake-up of Nigeria’s technical education system, directing polytechnics nationwide to begin phasing out courses considered unrelated to their core technical mandate.
The Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, announced the directive in Abuja during the inauguration of the Governing Board of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
Alausa said the move was part of a broader reform plan aimed at transforming Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) into a key engine for industrial growth, job creation and economic development.
He explained that Nigeria’s education system must move beyond certificate-based learning and focus on producing graduates equipped with practical skills needed in today’s competitive economy.
The minister charged institutions under the NBTE to overhaul their curricula and adopt outcome-driven training models that align with the demands of Industry 4.0.
He said emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, automation, digital technology, green energy, advanced manufacturing and other modern workplace skills must become central components of technical education.
Alausa urged polytechnics to concentrate more on engineering, applied sciences, technology and innovation, warning that programmes outside their statutory purpose would gradually be phased out.
He said the government’s goal was to create a workforce of highly skilled technicians, technologists, artisans, machine operators, fabricators and other professionals capable of driving industrialisation.
According to him, TVET should no longer be viewed as a second option for students unable to attend universities but as a critical pathway to economic empowerment and national development.
The minister said countries seeking sustainable industrial growth must invest heavily in technical skills, adding that Nigeria was already taking steps to close the gap between education and industry.
He outlined key responsibilities for the newly inaugurated NBTE board, including providing strategic leadership, strengthening regulation and ensuring that technical institutions deliver quality training.
Alausa also directed the board to speed up the implementation of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme, which allows experienced artisans to receive formal certification for skills gained outside traditional classrooms.
He said the initiative, being implemented with the Industrial Training Fund and other stakeholders, would improve job opportunities, increase access to funding and support skilled workers across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The minister warned the board against poor management of public resources, insisting that government funds, projects and intervention programmes must produce visible improvements in skills development, employment and productivity.
He disclosed that the Federal Government had committed almost ₦100 billion to the TVET sector in the last two years as part of efforts to rebuild Nigeria’s skills ecosystem.
Alausa added that over 250,000 students were currently receiving training in about 1,600 TVET centres across the country.
He revealed that trainees receive monthly stipends of between ₦25,000 and ₦30,000, while training centres get between ₦45,000 and ₦50,000 per student to support learning activities.
The minister further stated that successful trainees could receive start-up support packages worth up to ₦1 million to help them establish businesses and become self-reliant.
He said the reforms were in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places human capital development and education at the centre of Nigeria’s economic transformation.
While formally inaugurating the NBTE board, Alausa described the appointment of members as a national responsibility, saying the future competitiveness of Nigeria’s economy would depend largely on the success of technical education reforms.
The minister assured Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Education would work closely with the board to improve standards, expand access to skills training and develop a globally competitive workforce.
Responding on behalf of the board, Chairman Professor Babatunde L. Salako pledged commitment to supporting the government’s TVET reform agenda.
Salako said one of the board’s major tasks would be changing the public perception of technical education and encouraging more Nigerians to see it as a respected route to employment, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Meanwhile, NBTE Executive Secretary, Professor Idris M. Bugaje, described the inauguration as a major milestone, noting that the board had been constituted after more than five years without a governing council.
Bugaje assured the minister that the board would work with the government to deliver the administration’s vision for a stronger and more productive technical education sector.
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