The Federal Government is spending N1bn to bring Nigeria’s technical and vocational education programmes in line with current industry needs, Education Minister Tunji Alausa has disclosed.
The funding, provided through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, has already supported the creation of 27 new National Occupational Standards, while four existing standards have also been revised.
Alausa made this known in a statement released on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah.
The minister said the intervention formed part of efforts to make Technical and Vocational Education and Training a stronger option for employment, entrepreneurship and improved economic output.
He said, “Technical and vocational education is fundamentally about skills. Everything within the polytechnic system is ultimately geared towards developing competencies that create pathways to employment, entrepreneurship, and productivity.”
According to Alausa, the updated standards are intended to ensure that training offered by technical institutions keeps pace with changes in technology, industry demands and new areas of economic opportunity.
He explained that the review would provide a more connected training structure from artisan programmes through National Certificate courses to OND and HND levels.
The minister said graduates would consequently be better positioned to acquire practical skills that employers need, establish businesses and contribute to the economy.
The curriculum overhaul is also part of a broader plan to strengthen the National Board for Technical Education and improve its regulation of polytechnics, monotechnics and other technical institutions.
Alausa said KPMG Advisory Services had been engaged by the Federal Ministry of Education to examine the NBTE’s structure and develop a more effective governance and operational system.
He said the review would focus on areas such as leadership, staffing, organisational arrangements, internal processes and service delivery, with the findings expected to guide reforms at the agency.
Alausa said, “The success of Nigeria’s TVET reforms depends not only on curriculum and infrastructure, but also on the strength and effectiveness of the institutions responsible for implementation and oversight.”
He added that a stronger NBTE would help the government achieve the skills-development goals under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The intervention comes amid concerns about outdated training programmes across the TVET sector.
Oluwole Adelokun, a Partner at KPMG Africa and KPMG Nigeria, said the firm’s assessment revealed considerable gaps but also opportunities to improve the sector.
He disclosed that over 55 per cent of the curricula reviewed in fields including engineering, science, arts and design were found to be outdated.
