The Federal Government has inaugurated the Governing Board of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), more than five years after the agency last had a governing board.
The inauguration, held in Abuja on Thursday, is part of efforts to reposition Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a driver of job creation, industrialisation and economic growth.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, charged the new board to align technical education with industry needs, modernise curricula, certify skilled artisans and strengthen Nigeria’s workforce.
Alausa said the government was moving away from an education system overly focused on academic certificates towards one that equips Nigerians with practical and industry-relevant skills.
He identified four priorities for the board, including effective oversight of the technical education sector, implementation of the Recognition of Prior Learning framework, curriculum reform and prudent management of public resources.
The minister also directed the board to work with the Industrial Training Fund and other stakeholders to accelerate the certification of skilled artisans under the National Skills Qualification Framework.
He said the initiative would improve employability, expand access to finance and create opportunities for skilled workers to secure government contracts and improve labour mobility within the ECOWAS region.
Alausa further directed the review of technical education curricula to incorporate emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, automation, digital technology, green technology and advanced manufacturing.
Chairman of the board, Prof. Babatunde L. Salako, pledged to expand opportunities for young Nigerians to acquire technical skills and promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris M. Bugaje, described the inauguration as historic, noting that the agency had operated without a governing board for more than five years.
The Federal Government said the reforms are aimed at addressing Nigeria’s skills gap, creating employment opportunities and strengthening the country’s capacity for sustainable economic growth.
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