President Bola Tinubu has approved the sum of N120 billion to enhance the implementation of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a key government priority, focusing on providing practical skills and knowledge for specific occupations and industries.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, made this known on Thursday at a Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja.
At the event, hosted by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, Alausa reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to returning 10 million out-of-school children to basic education in the country.
He also disclosed that President Tinubu has approved N40 billion to commence work on the abandoned National Library Headquarters building project. He stated that, when completed, the monument would support academic and research needs across the country.
While expressing his commitment to revamping the education sector, the Minister said the ministry is working on a clear strategy to increase access, improve quality, and enhance foundational learning systems.
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Speaking on vocational and technical training in schools, the Minister explained that President Bola Tinubu has approved N120 billion to strengthen the TVET system and provide startup support for students’ entrepreneurial ventures.
He stated that the government would adopt an 80/20 vocational training approach in collaboration with partners, including the Bank of Industry, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), and the private sector.
According to him, the country is currently focusing on the value chain in technical education, ensuring that artisans receive practical training.
He further explained that a dual-mode training system would be implemented, allowing students to spend three days in school, one day in intensive training, and one day in a workshop.
The Minister also revealed the Federal Government’s plan to offer six months of free skills training to Nigerians to meet industry demands.
He said this initiative would help address the two million job vacancies in the country.
Additionally, the ministry is implementing measures to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education to meet the nation’s workforce needs.
According to him, “We are achieving this through our Digital Training Academy (DTA), equipping students with the skills needed to serve the industry.
“Today, based on UNESCO data, there are 650,000 vacancies in software development methodologies, about 280,000 in cybersecurity, 160,000 in IT automation,
“150,000 in AI and machine learning, 120,000 in cloud computing, and about 60,000 worldwide in natural language processing.
“When combined, there are nearly two million job vacancies. Through the Digital Training Academy, we are working with trainers to provide six-month training programs for young engineers.
“As a government, we will cover their internet costs and pay for their certifications, including Cisco certification, End-of-Career certification, and Google certification,” he said.
Alausa stated that this strategy would equip Nigerians with new digital skills, enabling them to stand out in the global job market.
He added that the training program would be launched on or before June 2025.
Regarding the construction of additional classrooms, Alausa disclosed that between now and 2027, the government plans to reconstruct 195,000 classrooms across the country.
“In terms of infrastructure, between now and 2027, we will need to build 195,000 classrooms nationwide.
“We will install 28,000 toilets and 22,900 boreholes in schools across the country.
“We will construct approximately 7,000 new classrooms while also providing 103 million textbooks for teaching and learning,” he said.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in his welcome remarks, described the occasion as a valuable opportunity for ministers to update Nigerians on the progress and key achievements recorded under their leadership.
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