By Jennete Ugo Anya
As Nigeria confronts the challenge of creating opportunities for a rapidly expanding young population, policymakers are increasingly turning their attention to skills development as a critical component of economic growth. With millions of young Nigerians entering the labour market every year, the question facing the country is no longer simply how to expand access to education, but how to ensure that education translates into employable skills, productive enterprises and sustainable livelihoods.
In the light of the above, the federal government is positioning Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a central pillar of its strategy to build a more productive, inclusive and skills-driven economy.
That position was reinforced at the recent National TVET Conference 2026 in Lagos, where stakeholders from government, industry and the education sector gathered to discuss the role of technical and vocational training in addressing unemployment, promoting industrial growth and preparing Nigeria’s workforce for a changing global economy.
Addressing participants at the conference, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said that the federal government remains committed to transforming Nigeria into a skills-driven economy capable of producing innovators, entrepreneurs, technicians and job creators.
According to him, the education sector is being repositioned under the present administration to move beyond traditional models that focus primarily on academic qualifications and instead emphasize practical competencies that can support economic participation and enterprise development.
Dr. Alausa noted that the urgency of the task is underscored by demographic realities, with nearly five million young Nigerians entering the labour market annually.
Against that backdrop, he said that investment in industry-aligned skills has become a national necessity.
The minister explained that government is pursuing this objective through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), which is aimed at strengthening the country’s technical and vocational training ecosystem.
According to him, ongoing reforms under the initiative include strengthening the National Skills Qualification Framework, improving quality assurance mechanisms and expanding competency-based training programmes across the country.
The reforms are intended to ensure that skills acquisition programmes are aligned with labour market requirements while improving the quality and consistency of training outcomes.
Dr. Alausa disclosed that more than 150,000 trainees are currently undergoing skills development programmes in over 1,600 accredited centres nationwide.
He added that the programme is supported by thousands of trained instructors and quality assurance officers whose role is to ensure standardisation, maintain training quality and improve employability outcomes for participants.
For the federal government, the emphasis on technical and vocational education reflects a broader view that workforce readiness is essential to improving productivity and supporting economic diversification.
Dr. Alausa stated that Technical and Vocational Education and Training remains central to unlocking national productivity, promoting industrial growth and creating sustainable employment opportunities for millions of young Nigerians.
The conference also provided an opportunity to recognize efforts aimed at advancing technical education and skills development in the country.
In acknowledgement of his role in promoting TVET reforms and skills development initiatives, Dr. Alausa was conferred with the TVET Champion of the Year Award.
The recognition was presented in appreciation of his contributions to repositioning technical education as an instrument for national transformation.
Earlier, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, described Technical and Vocational Education and Training as a strategic pathway to employment, innovation and national development.
According to the governor, the changing nature of the global economy requires a workforce equipped with practical competencies capable of responding to emerging opportunities and technological advancements.
He stressed the need to equip young Nigerians with practical, digital and entrepreneurial skills that can enable them to compete effectively in an economy increasingly shaped by technology, innovation and green growth.
The discussions at the conference reflected growing consensus among policymakers and stakeholders that economic competitiveness is increasingly linked to the quality of a country’s human capital and technical workforce.
With the theme, “Harnessing TVET as a Pathway to Employment: Building a System for Employability, Inclusion and Green Growth in Nigeria,” the conference focused attention on how technical and vocational education can contribute to employment creation, workforce inclusion and sustainable economic development.
As Nigeria seeks to address youth unemployment, improve productivity and expand opportunities for economic participation, the growing emphasis on TVET signals a policy direction that places skills development at the centre of the country’s long-term development strategy.
The reforms outlined at the conference suggest that government views technical education not simply as an educational pathway, but as a mechanism for connecting learning to employment, enterprise creation and broader economic transformation.
