The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has announced the upgrade of 38 federal and state technical colleges across Nigeria as part of comprehensive reforms aimed at equipping young Nigerians with globally competitive skills.
Speaking on Monday at the 2025 Quarterly Citizens and Stakeholders Engagement on the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) in Abuja, Dr. Alausa said the upgrades are part of a broader effort to reposition the education sector for a skill-based, knowledge-driven economy.
The engagement session focused on strategic priorities, unveiling of key initiatives, and addressing persistent challenges, particularly the high number of out-of-school children.
Dr. Alausa outlined six core priority areas under the ministry’s reform agenda, including reducing the number of out-of-school girls, enhancing quality assurance, and improving access through targeted national programs.
He also highlighted the introduction of a dual-training model in the upgraded technical colleges, where students will now spend 80% of their time on hands-on training and 20% in the classroom — a shift designed to better prepare them for real-world job markets.
NESRI, the centrepiece of the reform, includes initiatives on literacy improvement, curriculum reform, and data digitisation, and is aimed at transitioning Nigeria from a resource-based to a knowledge-driven economy.
Read Also: Court orders EFCC to pay certification fee for documents in ex-aviation minister’s ‘trial
Alausa said, “Artisans will be paid to mentor trainees, establishing a new value chain in the education sector.
“Our goal is to train 5 million young Nigerians with globally relevant skills within four years.
“NESRI addresses issues of access, quality, inclusivity, research, and professional development in education.”
Alausa noted that Nigeria currently has 15 million out-of-school children and over 45 million classified as learning poor.
He said adolescent girls, particularly the 6 million aged 12–19 currently out of school, remained a key focus of the reforms.
To address this crisis, the minister said 25,000 children have been integrated into formal education through NESRI, while 4,000 Tsangaya teachers have been trained to support inclusive education.
Alausa announced that the National Examinations Council, and the West African Examinations Council would begin conducting computer-based tests (CBT) from November 2025, with full digitisation of all national examinations, including JAMB, by 2027.
He said the move was to tackle examination fraud and enhance integrity.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, emphasised the importance of TVET in addressing Nigeria’s skills gap and reducing reliance on foreign workers.
“We have seen companies hiring 60 per cent of their workforce from abroad. That must change,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Abel Enitan commended the dedication of the two ministers and reassured attendees of the government’s unwavering commitment to educational transformation.
Sen. Muntari Dandutse, Chair of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, pledged legislative support for the reforms, calling education “the heart of national transformation.”