The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has allocated funding for technical education in its 2025 Intervention Guidelines to address the country’s growing skills gap.
TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Sonny Echono, made this known during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE) in Abuja.
Echono praised President Bola Tinubu for prioritising technical education, stating that it is key to job creation and economic growth. He emphasised that aligning Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) with industry needs would enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in global manufacturing.
He noted that past policies on TVET had lacked proper implementation, with many polytechnics offering courses unrelated to technical education. Institutions also face challenges such as outdated equipment, inadequate technical staff, and unreliable power supply, all of which hinder research and learning.
Echono reaffirmed TETFund’s commitment to eliminating the skills gap through strategic interventions.
NAE President, Rahman Bello, commended the government’s National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) initiative but stressed the need for sustained stakeholder support to address the shortage of technicians and artisans.
Similarly, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) President, Margaret Oguntala, called for revitalising technical schools to inspire students to pursue technical careers from an early age.
Credit: NAN (Text Excluding Headline)
