Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of Education, has argued that the Future Workforce Nigeria will need tomorrow will rely on hands-on skills rather than on paper qualifications by themselves.
A statement issued on Tuesday by Ikharo Attah, the Minister's Special Adviser on Media and Communications, made the remarks public.
Preparing the Nigerian Workforce of Tomorrow at the Economic Summit
Attah reported that Alausa spoke at a panel session called “Building Nigeria's Future Workforce”, held in Abuja during the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, which the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) organised. There he set out education reforms meant to close skills gaps, boost employability and equip young Nigerians for an economy whose demands are shifting.
The TVET programme: what it offers
Dr. Alausa said that almost 250,000 Nigerians are either in training or have signed up under the Federal Government's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, which is delivered via over 1,200 approved skills centres as well as production hubs across the country.
He said the scheme was designed to make technical education relevant again, so that the skills taught match what employers, businesses and new industries actually need. After reviewing the job market and the shortfalls in skills, the government cut the earlier 82 fields of study to 28 trades that the market demands.
The Minister added that the programme puts practical ability first. The main features he set out are:
- roughly 80 per cent of the training is hands-on, while 20 per cent is theory;
- trainees who qualify receive an allowance of ₦30,000 each month;
- every participating training centre is given ₦50,000 monthly for each learner to help cover the cost of delivering the training.
Dr Alausa went on to say that federal technical colleges charge no tuition, and he characterised wider access to vocational training as a significant move towards giving young Nigerians the abilities they require for paid work, running their own ventures and building businesses.
Dr. Alausa said that roughly 1.4 million people applied to the programme in the first two weeks after the newest application portal went live, which, in his view, shows how strongly young Nigerians want skills training they can get at little or no barrier.
Curriculum reform for a skills-ready Future Workforce
The Minister further drew attention to the overhauled national curriculum, in force since the 2025/2026 school year, which he presented as a major part of the drive to bring schooling into line with present-day economic conditions.
Under the reform, senior secondary students will study fewer subjects, while Digital Technologies and vocational craft subjects are brought in to build up digital literacy and hands-on skills.
He also said the Ministry is encouraging teachers to use artificial intelligence when planning lessons and assessing pupils, but with safeguards so that it does not harm how young primary school children develop mentally.
Higher education, loans, and entrepreneurship
Turning to higher education, Dr Alausa pointed to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a means of helping students get past the cost of university and other tertiary study. He revealed that, by September 29, 2026, NELFUND had paid out ₦372.62 billion to learners and the institutions taking part in the scheme.
He added that the Ministry is working alongside the National Universities Commission and other stakeholders to promote current, industry-linked courses that suit the shifting demands of the jobs sector.
The Minister further stressed that students need more than academic qualifications: they should also acquire entrepreneurial skills that allow them to start businesses and generate jobs.
Dr. Alausa also disclosed that a trial of the Entrepreneurial Innovation and Business Incubation Certification scheme is presently under way in 14 universities, and it is due to be extended to universities nationwide starting with the coming academic year.
Industry's role in training the Future Workforce
Dr. Alausa urged closer cooperation between the state, schools and universities, and employers. In his view, industry players should help set occupational standards, shape suitable curricula, evaluate practical competencies and offer opportunities for training at work.
He insisted that reforms in education should be judged by more than how many students enrol and graduate. The real test, he said, is how many graduates and trainees find jobs, set up viable businesses, raise their incomes and add to the nation's productivity.
The panel session took place during the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, which ran under the theme “Growth That Works”. The summit brings together leaders from the public and private sectors to consider policies and strategies aimed at lifting Nigeria's output, productivity and common wellbeing.
Dr. Alausa restated the Ministry's dedication to building a schooling framework that links classroom learning to the productive economy, so that young Nigerians can hold their own in a global job market that is driven by technology and rewards skills more and more.
