Nigeria does not have a shortage of certificates. What it needs is a workforce equipped with practical skills to build businesses, operate industries, maintain infrastructure and drive productivity.
That is why the federal government’s renewed push to reposition Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) deserves attention beyond the inauguration of the Governing Board of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
We believe the inauguration is an important institutional step. But we argue that the real test of the reform will not be how many boards are inaugurated, curricula reviewed or certificates issued. The real test is whether those certificates translate into jobs, businesses, higher incomes and increased productivity.
The federal government must therefore make TVET deliver jobs, not just certificates.
The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has correctly identified the need to move Nigeria away from an overdependence on paper qualifications towards practical, industry-relevant skills. His emphasis on Outcome Based Education, Industry 4.0 competencies, artificial intelligence, automation, green technologies and advanced manufacturing reflects the changing demands of the global economy.
We posit, however, that curriculum reform must ultimately be judged by what happens after training.
A young Nigerian trained in welding, electrical installation, renewable energy, automotive technology, fabrication, ICT or machine operation should have a pathway into employment or enterprise. Training without access to opportunity will not solve Nigeria’s productivity and unemployment challenges.
This is where TVET must move from education policy to economic policy.
Nigeria’s industrial ambitions require skilled technicians, machine operators, fabricators, electricians, technology specialists and other technical professionals. Factories cannot operate efficiently without them. Construction, mining, energy, agriculture and the digital economy equally depend on a competent technical workforce.
We therefore argue that TVET should be treated as part of Nigeria’s productive infrastructure.
The newly inaugurated NBTE Board should deepen partnerships between training institutions and industry. Employers should have a stronger role in curriculum design, practical training and assessment. What is taught must reflect the skills businesses actually require.
The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework also presents an important opportunity. Nigeria has millions of artisans who acquired valuable skills through apprenticeship and experience but lack formal certification. Recognising these competencies could improve their access to finance, employment, government contracts and wider markets.
However, certification alone is not enough.
We believe the government must connect TVET to finance, equipment, apprenticeships, procurement and market opportunities. A certified welder needs tools and contracts. A trained solar technician needs equipment and customers. A skilled fabricator needs machinery and working capital.
Government agencies responsible for MSME development, employment and development finance should therefore work more closely with the TVET ecosystem to create a pathway from learning to earning.
The government must also confront the perception that technical education is inferior to university education. Nigeria cannot build an industrial economy while undervaluing the people who build and maintain its productive infrastructure.
Most importantly, the reform must be measurable.
We urge the government to track how many TVET graduates secure jobs, establish sustainable businesses, enter apprenticeships, gain industry placement and increase their incomes after training. Public investment should be assessed not merely by enrolment and certification figures, but by employment and productivity outcomes.
We believe the inauguration of the NBTE Board should mark the beginning of a results-driven skills revolution.
Nigeria needs more than qualified graduates. It needs competent workers, entrepreneurs, technicians, artisans and innovators who can create value.
The federal government has started the reform. Now it must ensure that TVET produces what the economy needs most: skills that lead to jobs, businesses and measurable productivity.
