The Federal Government has introduced an artisan-led mentorship model across 38 upgraded technical colleges in Nigeria to boost youth employment and skills development.

This was revealed by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, during the 2025 Quarterly Citizens and Stakeholders Engagement on the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), held in Abuja on Monday.

“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,” Alausa stated.

As part of efforts to transform Nigeria’s education sector, Dr Alausa announced that 38 federal and state technical colleges have been upgraded to adopt a dual-training model.

Under this new system, students will spend 80 per cent of their time in practical training and 20 per cent in the classroom. This approach is designed to close the skill gap and align with international standards.

Goals of NESRI 

The NESRI reform agenda, according to the minister, is aimed at refocusing Nigeria’s education system towards a skill-based, knowledge-driven economy. Alausa stated,

“NESRI addresses issues of access, quality, inclusivity, research, and professional development in education,” he said

He also highlighted the extent of Nigeria’s education challenges, stating that the country has 15 million out-of-school children and over 45 million classified as learning poor.

A major focus of the reforms, he noted, will be on adolescent girls, especially “the 6 million aged 12–19 currently out-of-school.” 

CBT-based exams 

Dr Alausa further disclosed that national examination bodies will begin transitioning to computer-based testing (CBT).

According to him, the National Examinations Council and the West African Examinations Council would begin conducting computer-based tests (CBT) from November 2025, with full digitization of all national examinations, including JAMB, by 2027.

He said this reform aims to tackle examination fraud and enhance integrity across the system.

Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, underlined the importance of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in reducing Nigeria’s dependence on foreign expertise.

“We have seen companies hiring 60 per cent of their workforce from abroad. That must change,” she said.

Senator Muntari Dandutse, Chair of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, also declared legislative backing for the reforms, describing education as the heart of national transformation.

What you should know 

The Federal Ministry of Education, early this year, launched a nationwide Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program aimed at equipping Nigerians with industry-relevant skills.

As part of this initiative, the Ministry called on Skill Training Centres (STCs), Vocational Enterprise Institutions (VEIs), and Mastercraft Persons (MCPs) to register for accreditation through the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

Accreditation allows these centres to access government funding for training under the TVET Program, provided they meet mandatory requirements such as Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration, adoption of National Skills Qualification (NSQ)-based curricula, and provision of qualified instructors and assessors.

In 2024, the government launched the Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) initiative through the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), targeting the up-skilling, licensing, and empowerment of 10 million artisans over a two-year period.