The Federal Government has inaugurated the Governing Board of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), ending more than five years without a functional board.
The government also introduced a new reform agenda aimed at repositioning Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a major driver of industrial growth, employment generation and economic development.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, charged the newly appointed board members to implement reforms that would align technical education with industry demands, modernise training programmes, certify skilled workers and improve Nigeria’s competitiveness globally.
Alausa described the inauguration as an important step in achieving President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises education and human capital development as tools for economic transformation.
He said the government was working to move the education system away from an overemphasis on academic certificates towards producing graduates with practical skills, innovation and technical expertise needed for industrialisation and entrepreneurship.
“The inauguration of this Governing Board is another significant milestone in the implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” the minister said.
He expressed confidence that the experience and professionalism of the board members would provide the leadership needed to strengthen NBTE’s mandate and accelerate reforms in the technical education sector.
According to him, TVET should no longer be considered a second-choice option but a key national priority, noting that no country can achieve meaningful industrial development without skilled technicians, technologists, artisans, machine operators and other specialised professionals.
Alausa highlighted four major priorities for the new board, including providing strategic oversight, implementing the Recognition of Prior Learning framework, updating technical education curricula to meet Industry 4.0 demands and ensuring responsible management of public resources.
He directed the board to collaborate with the Industrial Training Fund and other relevant stakeholders to speed up the certification of skilled artisans through the Recognition of Prior Learning programme.
The initiative, he explained, would allow experienced workers to obtain formal recognition for their skills, improve access to employment opportunities, expand financial opportunities and support labour mobility across the ECOWAS region.
The minister also called for a complete review of technical education curricula through Outcome-Based Education, stressing the need to incorporate emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, automation, digital technology, green energy and advanced manufacturing.
He further urged polytechnics to focus more on their core mandates by strengthening engineering, technology and applied science programmes.
Alausa also emphasised transparency and accountability in the management of government funds, stating that investments in technical education must lead to measurable improvements in skills development, youth employment and national productivity.
Responding on behalf of the board, its Chairman, Prof. Babatunde L. Salako, thanked President Tinubu and the Minister of Education for the confidence placed in them.
Salako pledged that the board would work towards expanding access to quality technical skills, encouraging innovation and developing a new generation of entrepreneurs and job creators.
He added that changing the public perception of technical education would be one of the board’s immediate priorities.
“We must encourage parents, students and society to embrace TVET as a respected pathway to employment, entrepreneurship and national development,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris M. Bugaje, described the inauguration as historic, noting that the agency had operated without a governing board for over five years.
He said the development reflected the government’s renewed commitment to strengthening technical education and assured that the board would work closely with the Ministry of Education to deliver the TVET reform agenda.
The inauguration comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to expand technical skills development, revitalise technical colleges and bridge the gap between education and industry.
The government has also announced plans to certify millions of skilled artisans through the Recognition of Prior Learning framework, describing technical education as essential to reducing unemployment, closing the skills gap and driving sustainable economic growth.
