The Federal Government of Nigeria and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) have reaffirmed their commitment to transforming technical and vocational education in the country, with the aim of building a skilled workforce that drives innovation, economic growth, and sustainable development.
This renewed commitment was made in Enugu at the conclusion of a two-day Interregional Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Forum for the South East and South South regions. The forum was held under the Skills Development for Youth Employment (SKYE II) programme.
SKYE II, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, also receives co-funding from the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation.
Speaking at the event, Rachel Schipper, Programme Component Manager for TVET at GIZ-SKYE, noted that the initiative supports Nigeria’s development goals by fostering job creation, enhancing the quality of the TVET system, promoting gender equality, and encouraging inclusive and decent employment.
“As the demand for a highly skilled and adaptable workforce continues to grow, it is evident that no single organisation can achieve this objective in isolation,” she stated.
Schipper emphasised the importance of collaboration among state governments, regulatory bodies, training institutions, and the private sector. According to her, such partnerships are crucial to ensuring that skills development programmes are aligned with labour market demands and youth employment priorities.
“To achieve these goals, we must create greater national awareness, encourage knowledge-sharing platforms, and advance the development of green skills curricula and a coordinated National Green Skills Strategy,” she added.
Also speaking at the forum, Technical Assistant on TVET to the Federal Ministry of Education, Nabilla Mohammed, reiterated the Nigerian government’s dedication to addressing unemployment through the expansion of vocational and technical education.
She revealed that the government has earmarked five per cent of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) to support TVET initiatives. “We currently have over 437 approved skills acquisition centres operating across the country,” she said.
The forum concluded with a call for sustained collaboration between development partners, government agencies, and stakeholders to equip Nigerian youth with relevant skills for a competitive global economy.
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