In a bold move to overhaul Nigeria’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced that the curriculum would now prioritize hands-on training, with 80% of the content dedicated to practical learning and only 20% to theoretical instruction.
This change aims to equip the country’s youthful population with the skills necessary to drive economic growth and job creation.
Dr. Alausa made the announcement during a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, coinciding with the launch of the inaugural Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) National Research Fair/Exhibition, scheduled for November 18-21. He emphasized the need for a shift away from outdated teaching methods that rely heavily on theory.
“The way technical education has been structured is not the best because we focus heavily on didactics. We are now clearly changing the TVET structure from didactics to skill acquisition. We will now do 20% didactics and 80% practical, and that’s how we are going to move forward,” he said.
To implement this transformative vision, the Minister revealed that consultations with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) are already underway to establish a new educational framework that aligns more closely with national labor market needs.
Dr. Alausa also underscored the importance of aligning the education system with Nigeria’s demographics, noting that 70% of the nation’s population is under the age of 30. “We have a unique demography in the world: 220 million people, with 70% of them under the age of 30. We need to work and give these young men and women, who are energetic, ready to learn, and contribute to this country, the right skills,” he said.
The Minister stressed that the current trend of focusing on courses like banking and insurance in technical schools is detrimental to the country’s broader educational objectives. “Enough of studying banking, business, and insurance in the Monotechnics because it’s bastardising our technical education. This is not what President Bola Tinubu wants. There is going to be a stop to that. We need to create jobs and provide life skills for young Nigerians,” he added.
In a bid to encourage enrollment, Dr. Alausa outlined a range of incentives, including free tuition and capacity-building programs, for students attending technical schools. “We will pay them to attend, cover their tuition, and build capacity in those schools,” he explained. Additionally, the government will roll out short-term training programs lasting six and twelve months, with the first cohort of students set to begin training in March or April 2025.
By the end of 2025, the first graduates of the revamped TVET program will be ready to enter the workforce, with plans to provide them with entrepreneurial grants to support their ventures.
