Skills, Not Certificates, Will Drive Growth – Minister

The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming Nigeria into a skills-driven economy, stating that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) remains central to unlocking national productivity, industrial growth and sustainable job creation for millions of young Nigerians.

At the National TVET Conference 2026 in Lagos yesterday, the minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, said under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria is repositioning education to produce innovators, entrepreneurs, technicians and job creators rather than job seekers.

In a press statement by Ikharo Attah, special adviser on Media and Communications, the minister said through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), the government is strengthening the National Skills Qualification Framework, improving quality assurance and expanding competency-based training across the country.

He disclosed that over 150,000 trainees are currently undergoing skills development in more than 1,600 accredited centres nationwide, supported by thousands of trained instructors and quality assurance officers to ensure standardisation and employability outcomes.

Building on the gains recorded so far, Alausa stated that the next phase of implementation will focus on scaling quality, deepening private-sector engagement, and expanding labour-market linkages.

He noted that emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, robotics, renewable energy, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing will define future job opportunities, making sustained investment in skills development a national imperative.

In recognition of his leadership in advancing skills development and TVET reforms, Alausa was conferred with the TVET Champion of the Year Award at the conference in acknowledgement of his contributions to repositioning technical education as a driver of national transformation.

In remarks delivered on behalf of the governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the deputy governor of Lagos State, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, described TVET as a strategic pathway to employment, innovation and national development.

He stressed the need to equip young Nigerians with practical, digital and entrepreneurial skills to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global economy driven by technology and green growth.