Nigeria Repositioning Education To Produce Innovators, Entrepreneurs, Others -Minister
By Alice Etuka, Abuja
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa says Nigeria was repositioning education to produce innovators, entrepreneurs, technicians and job creators rather than job seekers.
Spokesperson to the Minister on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah in a statement on Monday said Alausa stated this while speaking at the National TVET Conference 2026 in Lagos.
He said the Federal Government had reaffirmed its commitment to transforming Nigeria into a skills-driven economy, declaring that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) remained central to unlocking national productivity, industrial growth and sustainable job creation for millions of young Nigerians.
Speaking at the National TVET Conference 2026 in Lagos, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, and the Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria is repositioning education to produce innovators, entrepreneurs, technicians and job creators rather than job seekers.
He noted that with nearly five million young people entering the labour market annually, urgent investment in industry-aligned skills has become a national necessity.
The Minister explained that through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), government is strengthening the National Skills Qualification Framework, improving quality assurance and expanding competency-based training across the country. He disclosed that over 150,000 trainees are currently undergoing skills development in more than 1,600 accredited centres nationwide, supported by thousands of trained instructors and quality assurance officers to ensure standardisation and employability outcomes.
Building on the gains recorded so far, Dr. Alausa stated that the next phase of implementation will focus on scaling quality, deepening private sector engagement and expanding labour market linkages. He noted that emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, robotics, renewable energy, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing will define future job opportunities, making sustained investment in skills development a national imperative.
In recognition of his leadership in advancing skills development and TVET reforms, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, was conferred with the TVET Champion of the Year Award at the conference in acknowledgement of his contributions to repositioning technical education as a driver of national transformation.
In remarks delivered on behalf of the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Kadri Hamzat, described TVET as a strategic pathway to employment, innovation and national development.
He stressed the need to equip young Nigerians with practical, digital and entrepreneurial skills to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global economy driven by technology and green growth. He also highlighted Lagos State’s investments in technical colleges, industry partnerships and hands-on training, while calling for stronger collaboration between government, industry and development partners to build a skills-driven economy.
While delivering opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Abel Enitan, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to making TVET a central driver of employment, inclusion and green growth.
He highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen technical colleges, expand competency-based training and deepen collaboration with industry and development partners, while urging stronger alignment between training outcomes and labour market needs.
He also commended initiatives such as WorldSkills Nigeria and called on stakeholders to ensure that conference deliberations translate into practical actions that expand opportunities for young Nigerians and support national development.
In goodwill messages, international development partners commended Nigeria’s progress in advancing TVET reforms. The Consul General of Switzerland, Ms. Conny Cammezind, reaffirmed support for youth employment and entrepreneurship, while the Consul General of Germany in Nigeria, Mr. Daniel Krull, praised the Renewed Hope TVET Initiative and the SKYE II Programme, stressing the importance of industry participation and demand-driven skills development. Dr. Karen Jansen, Chair of the TVET Donor and Development Partners Working Group, described the conference as a strategic platform for advancing employability, inclusion and green growth through stronger policy coordination and integration of digital and green skills.
The three-day conference, themed “Harnessing TVET as a Pathway to Employment: Building a System for Employability, Inclusion and Green Growth in Nigeria,” brought together policymakers, industry leaders and development partners to strengthen Nigeria’s skills ecosystem and accelerate economic transformation.
