FG inaugurates NBTE governing board after five-year gap

The Federal Government on Thursday inaugurated the Governing Board of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) after the agency had operated without one for more than five years.The ceremony in Abuja also marked the launch of a renewed reform agenda designed to reposition Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a central driver of industrialisation, job creation and economic growth.Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa charged the new board to accelerate reforms that align technical education with industry needs, modernise curricula, certify skilled artisans and boost Nigeria’s global competitiveness.He described the inauguration as a major milestone in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises education and human capital development.Alausa said the administration was deliberately moving the education system away from over-reliance on academic certificates towards producing competent, innovative and highly skilled graduates who can drive industrialisation and entrepreneurship.“The inauguration of this Governing Board is another significant milestone in the implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” the minister stated.He congratulated the chairman and members, expressing confidence that their professionalism and commitment would strengthen NBTE’s mandate and deepen reforms across the technical education sector.Alausa stressed that TVET must no longer be treated as a second-choice pathway but as a strategic national priority.“No nation can achieve meaningful industrialisation without a strong base of technicians, technologists, artisans, fabricators, automation specialists, machine operators and other skilled professionals,” he said.He outlined four key priorities for the board: providing strategic leadership and effective oversight; accelerating the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework; modernising technical education curricula to reflect Industry 4.0; and ensuring prudent management of public resources.The minister directed the board to collaborate with the Industrial Training Fund and other stakeholders to fast-track the RPL initiative, which aims to formally recognise and certify skilled artisans under the National Skills Qualification Framework. He noted that the programme would improve employability, expand access to finance, open opportunities for government contracts and enhance labour mobility within the ECOWAS region.Alausa also ordered a comprehensive review of technical education curricula through Outcome-Based Education, insisting that programmes must incorporate emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation, digital tools, green technologies and advanced manufacturing.He encouraged polytechnics to gradually phase out non-technical programmes outside their core mandate while strengthening engineering, technology and applied science courses, and urged the board to uphold transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.Responding on behalf of the board, Chairman Prof. Babatunde L. Salako thanked President Tinubu and the minister for the confidence placed in the members. He pledged to expand opportunities for young Nigerians to acquire relevant technical skills, promote innovation and nurture entrepreneurs and job creators.“This inauguration marks the beginning of a new chapter for technical education in Nigeria,” Salako said, adding that changing the public perception of TVET as a second-choice option would be among the board’s immediate priorities.NBTE Executive Secretary Prof. Idris M. Bugaje described the inauguration as historic, noting that the agency had functioned without a governing board for over five years. He assured the minister of the board’s commitment to implementing the Federal Government’s TVET reform agenda in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education.The move comes amid intensified government efforts to revitalise technical colleges, strengthen skills acquisition programmes and promote industry-driven curriculum reforms as part of broader plans to close Nigeria’s skills gap and drive sustainable economic growth.

The Federal Government has inaugurated the NBTE board after a five-year gap, aiming to reposition technical education and drive industrialisation and job c Read More: https://punchng.com/fg-inaugurates-nbte-board-after-five-year-gap/