The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has commenced the repositioning of the Monotechnic and Technical Education Board (MBTE) to strengthen its capacity to supervise polytechnics, monotechnics and other technical institutions across the country.
Alausa said the reform, being undertaken with the support of KPMG, is aimed at transforming MBTE into a more effective and fit-for-purpose agency capable of driving Nigeria’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Minister, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, said the initiative would strengthen MBTE’s institutional capacity, internal processes and operational framework, while ensuring that technical education responds more effectively to the skills requirements of the Nigerian economy.
According to him, a team has been constituted to work with KPMG on a comprehensive assessment of the agency and develop a functional organisational structure that would enable MBTE to effectively discharge its statutory responsibilities.
Alausa stressed that the success of the Federal Government’s vision for TVET would depend largely on the effectiveness of institutions responsible for implementing and supervising the sector.
He said MBTE must therefore be repositioned to provide stronger oversight of polytechnics, monotechnics and other institutions under its mandate, while ensuring that graduates acquire practical skills required for employment, entrepreneurship and national development.
“This is not merely an administrative restructuring, but a fundamental step towards repositioning MBTE to effectively drive the development of technical and vocational education and training in Nigeria,” the Minister said.
He noted that the reform was also informed by the recognition that polytechnic education is an integral part of the broader TVET ecosystem.
“Everything about the polytechnic is technical and vocational education and training. It is all about skills. We are simply discussing skills,” Alausa said.
The Minister disclosed that the government was also reviewing polytechnic curricula and developing National Occupational Standards to bring technical education closer to industry requirements and employment opportunities.
He said the curriculum review, supported by N1 billion from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), had produced 27 new National Occupational Standards, while four existing standards were reviewed, bringing the total to 31.
According to him, the standards are designed to establish a clearer skills pathway from artisan-level training through the National Certificate, Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) levels.
Alausa said the reforms were ultimately aimed at ensuring that Nigerians who undergo technical education acquire practical competencies that can translate into employment, entrepreneurship and increased productivity.
Also speaking, Adewale Ajayi, Partner and Head of Tax, Regulatory and People Services at KPMG Africa and KPMG in Nigeria, said the firm’s assessment had identified challenges as well as significant opportunities within Nigeria’s TVET system.
Ajayi said about 93 per cent of Nigeria’s workforce is engaged in informal employment, while approximately 12 per cent of young people are neither in education, employment nor technical training.
He, however, noted that Nigeria performs strongly in the employability of TVET graduates, ranking second only to Singapore among the markets assessed.
He identified outdated curricula as one of the major challenges facing the sector, noting that more than 55 per cent of curricula assessed were outdated, including programmes in engineering, science, arts and design.
Ajayi attributed some of the challenges to funding constraints and the five-year curriculum review cycle, while citing the recent update of the agriculture curriculum as a positive development.
Alausa said the findings from the KPMG assessment, alongside the ongoing curriculum and skills reforms, would provide a stronger foundation for repositioning MBTE.
He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to building a technical and vocational education system anchored on practical competence, industry relevance, employability and productivity.
The Minister said a stronger MBTE would enhance institutional accountability and ensure that technical education remains responsive to the changing needs of industry and the wider economy.
He added that the ultimate objective was to make TVET a major driver of Nigeria’s human capital development and economic transformation, while contributing to the emergence of a skilled, productive and globally competitive workforce.
