FG commits N1bn to modernise TVET curricula — Alausa

The Federal Government of Nigeria has allocated N1 billion through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) to significantly modernize the curricula for technical and vocational education and training (TVET). This initiative aims to reposition TVET as a primary pathway for employment, entrepreneurship, and economic productivity in the country.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced that the curriculum modernization program has already produced 27 new National Occupational Standards and updated four existing ones, bringing the total number of reviewed standards to 31. Alausa explained that technical education is fundamentally about skills development, with polytechnic systems geared towards building competencies that lead to employment and productivity. The new standards are designed to ensure TVET programs remain aligned with industry needs, technological advancements, and emerging economic opportunities, creating a more integrated skills-development pathway from artisan to Higher National Diploma levels.

These reforms are part of a broader Federal Government effort to restructure the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). The goal is to strengthen the NBTE's capacity to regulate and support polytechnics, monotechnics, and other technical institutions. To achieve this, the Ministry of Education has engaged KPMG Advisory Services to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the NBTE. This assessment will inform the development of a future-fit organizational structure, governance model, and operating framework, aiming to transform the NBTE into a high-performing regulator and strategic enabler of Nigeria's TVET ecosystem.

The assessment will identify gaps and opportunities in the NBTE's governance, organizational design, operational processes, workforce capabilities, and service delivery. The findings are expected to form the basis of a transformation roadmap, ensuring that graduates from technical institutions acquire practical, market-relevant competencies that boost their employability and contribute to national productivity.

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Technical and vocational education is fundamentally about skills. Everything within the polytechnic system is ultimately geared towards developing competencies that create pathways to employment, entrepreneurship, and productivity.