WorldStage– Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrialisation, economic competitiveness and youth empowerment with the inauguration of the Governing Board of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
Inaugurating the Board in Abuja, Alausa described the occasion as another significant milestone in the implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places education and human capital development at the heart of Nigeria’s economic transformation.
He said the administration is deliberately shifting the nation’s education system from an overdependence on paper qualifications to producing competent, innovative and highly skilled graduates equipped to drive industrialisation, entrepreneurship and national productivity.
Congratulating the Chairman and members of the Board on their appointments, the Minister described their selection as a recognition of their professionalism, integrity and commitment to national service.
He expressed confidence that the calibre of individuals appointed would provide the strategic leadership required to strengthen NBTE’s mandate, deepen reforms across the technical education sector and accelerate the Federal Government’s vision of building a globally competitive workforce capable of supporting industrial growth, innovation and sustainable economic development.
Alausa stressed that Technical and Vocational Education and Training is no longer an alternative pathway to university education but a strategic national priority.
He noted that no nation can achieve meaningful industrialisation without a strong base of technicians, technologists, artisans, fabricators, automation specialists, machine operators and other skilled professionals.
According to him, the Federal Government has therefore prioritised the sector through sustained investments and reforms aimed at bridging the long-standing gap between education and industry while equipping learners in technical colleges, polytechnics, colleges of education and universities with practical, lifelong skills for employment, entrepreneurship and global competitiveness.
The Minister outlined four key priorities for the newly inaugurated Governing Board. He charged members to provide strategic leadership, sound policy direction and effective oversight while maintaining a clear distinction between governance and management by allowing the Executive Secretary and Management Team to handle the day-to-day administration of the Board.
He also directed the Board to accelerate the implementation of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework in collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund and other stakeholders to formally recognise and certify the competencies of skilled artisans across the country under the National Skills Qualification Framework.
He explained that the initiative would enhance employability, expand access to finance, create opportunities for government contracts and strengthen labour mobility within the ECOWAS region.
