The Federal Government has partnered with Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services to strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Nigeria, as more than 1.3 million Nigerians have enrolled in the country’s technical skills programme.
The partnership is being implemented through the “Train the Trainers (Pedagogy and Assessment) Programme,” a 10-day capacity-building initiative organised by the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services.
The programme is designed to equip TVET instructors with modern teaching, assessment and practical training methods that will improve the quality of technical education across the country.
The first cohort of 60 teachers drawn from federal and state technical institutions is currently undergoing training in Abuja, while a second batch of 60 participants will receive similar training in Lagos.
Speaking during the programme, the National Coordinator of Special Programmes in the Office of the Minister of Education, Adebayo Onigbanjo, said participants would transfer the knowledge acquired to colleagues through a cascading training model, enabling more instructors to adopt global best practices.
He explained that the initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to reposition the TVET sector as a driver of job creation, industrial development and economic growth.
According to Onigbanjo, the government recorded over 1.3 million registrations when the national technical skills initiative was launched last year, highlighting the urgent need to increase the number of qualified instructors.
“We need more trainers. Those being trained today will return to their schools and train their colleagues, allowing us to scale up capacity across the country,” he said.
Technical Assistant to the Minister of Education on TVET, Dr. Nabila Mohamed, said the programme aims to shift technical education from theory-based instruction to competency-based practical learning that better prepares students for the workplace.
She noted that participants would be introduced to modern teaching techniques that promote hands-on learning, student engagement and industry-relevant skills.
Manager of the Academic Pedagogy Programme at Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services, Choo Poh Lian, said the training focuses on improving teaching methods rather than specific technical trades.
She explained that participants would learn effective demonstration techniques, student engagement strategies, constructive feedback methods and competency-based assessment aligned with industry standards.
One of the participants, Odebode Adegoke of the Federal Science and Technical College, Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun State, described the programme as timely and impactful, saying it would enhance classroom instruction and better prepare students for employment.
The training, which runs from June 29 to July 10, is expected to strengthen the capacity of technical educators nationwide and support the Federal Government’s efforts to produce a skilled workforce capable of meeting Nigeria’s growing industrial and economic needs.
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