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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Nigeria’s push for mass vocational training is gaining momentum, as over 1.3 million young Nigerians have applied for enrolment in the federal government’s new skills development initiative under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme.
The move, according to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), marks the beginning of a nationwide shift toward empowering youth with hands-on, job-ready skills.
Professor Idris Muhammad Bugaje, Executive Secretary of NBTE, revealed the figures in a recent interview with an international Hausa Radio, emphasising the scale and significance of the new government effort.
“So far, about 1.3 million youth have applied, and 960,000 have been screened,” Bugaje said. “Just last week, the Minister of Education launched training for the first batch of 58,000. You might say this is a small number, but it’s only the beginning.”
The TVET programme, launched by the Ministry of Education, aims to provide practical, employment-focused training for Nigeria’s rapidly growing youth population. With 70% of Nigerians under the age of 30, the country is at a demographic crossroads.
“Nigeria is the country with the largest youth population in the world,” Bugaje stressed. “If you look at the numbers, about 70% of Nigerians are under the age of 30. No other country has such a demographic.”
Bugaje criticised the traditional focus on academic qualifications that don’t lead to employment, advocating instead for skill-based education that reflects the realities of Nigeria’s labour market.
“The problem with formal (Western) education is that it conditions your mind to believe you must get a government job,” he said. “But the government does not have enough jobs for everyone. Youth must be taught skills that help them rely on themselves.”
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He further argued that vocational learning is not limited to classrooms or formal institutions, but can be found in local workshops, artisan hubs, and informal learning centres like Panteka in Kaduna.
“There are community-based schools everywhere, such as those in Panteka and roadside automobile workshops,” Bugaje explained. “These are also centres for vocational learning. This is a crucial pillar for economic development and needs to be supported.”
The TVET programme is part of a broader strategy by the federal government to boost employment and reduce reliance on foreign labour. In addition to the Ministry of Education’s efforts, other ministries are also rolling out targeted initiatives.
The Ministry of Communications has launched the MTT programme to train three million youth in digital skills, including content creation and AI. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Works has introduced NASAP, aiming to train one million youth in construction-related trades like masonry, tiling, carpentry, and POP (plaster of Paris).
“Right now in Nigeria, artisans from Benin and Togo are the ones doing our POP work, even in Abuja – which is shameful,” Bugaje said. “Meanwhile, our youth are idle, roaming neighbourhoods with no jobs.”
While funding and certification logistics are being handled by NELFund, Bugaje emphasised NBTE’s commitment to visiting centres, evaluating training, and ensuring the credibility of the certifications.
With the first batch already underway and millions more waiting, Bugaje sees this as the start of a national transformation, saying, “Once the programme picks up momentum, that number will increase.”
