The Federal Government says nearly 250,000 Nigerians are undergoing training or have enrolled in its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, as part of efforts to bridge skills gaps and prepare young people for employment and entrepreneurship.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, through Ikharo Attah, his Special Adviser( Media and Communications) in a Statement on Tuesday, 27th October, 2026, disclosed this at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, where he called for stronger partnerships between government, educational institutions and industry to align education with labour market demands.
Speaking during a panel session titled “Building Nigeria’s Future Workforce,” Alausa said the programme operates through more than 1,200 accredited training centres and production hubs nationwide.
He explained that the initiative was designed to make technical education more responsive to employers’ needs, noting that the government had reduced the number of training areas from 82 to 28 market-relevant trades following a labour market and skills gap analysis.
According to him, the programme places greater emphasis on practical training, with 80 per cent of instruction devoted to hands-on learning and the remaining 20 per cent to theoretical knowledge.
He added that eligible trainees receive a monthly stipend of ₦30,000, while participating training centres receive ₦50,000 per learner monthly to support training delivery.
The minister also disclosed that the programme attracted approximately 1.4 million applications within two weeks of the latest application portal opening, reflecting growing demand for vocational and technical skills.
Alausa said tuition at federal technical colleges remained free, describing the expansion of vocational education as a strategy to equip Nigerians with practical skills for paid employment, self-employment and enterprise development.
On broader education reforms, the minister highlighted the revised national curriculum, which took effect from the 2025/2026 academic session, saying it was designed to align learning with contemporary economic needs.
He explained that the reform reduced the number of subjects at the senior secondary school level while introducing Digital Technologies and trade subjects to strengthen students’ digital literacy and practical competencies.
Alausa also said the ministry was promoting the use of artificial intelligence to assist teachers with lesson planning and assessment, while ensuring that its application did not undermine children’s cognitive development at the primary school level.
On access to higher education, the minister disclosed that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had disbursed ₦372.62 billion to students and participating institutions as of September 29, 2026.
He said the ministry was also collaborating with the National Universities Commission and other stakeholders to promote courses that reflect changing industry requirements and emerging labour market opportunities.
Beyond academic qualifications, Alausa emphasised the importance of entrepreneurship, disclosing that the Entrepreneurial Innovation and Business Incubation Certification programme was being piloted in 14 universities, with plans to expand it to more universities from the next academic session.
He urged industry stakeholders to play a more active role in defining occupational standards, developing curricula, assessing practical competencies and providing workplace training opportunities for students.
The minister stressed that the success of education reforms should not be measured solely by enrolment and graduation figures but also by graduates’ ability to secure jobs, establish viable businesses, increase their earnings and contribute to national productivity.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to building an education system that connects learning with the productive economy and equips Nigerian youths to compete in an increasingly technology-driven global labour market.
The panel discussion was part of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group under the theme “Growth That Works.” The summit brought together public and private sector leaders to examine strategies for improving Nigeria’s economic performance, productivity and shared prosperity.
