FG trains 120 TVET teachers after 1.3 million Nigerians sign up for skills programme
The federal government has begun training 120 technical and vocational education and training (TVET) teachers in partnership with Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services, as it moves to expand teaching capacity following a surge in demand for technical skills training.
The initiative, tagged “Train the trainers (pedagogy and assessment) programme”, is being implemented by the federal ministry of education, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services.
The 10-day programme is being conducted in two batches, with 60 teachers from federal and state technical institutions currently undergoing training in Abuja, while another 60 participants will receive similar training in Lagos.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Adebayo Onigbanjo, national coordinator of special programmes in the office of the minister of education, said the programme is designed to equip TVET instructors with modern teaching and assessment methods that will improve the quality of technical education across Nigeria.
He said the participants would return to their institutions to train other instructors, enabling the government to rapidly expand the number of competent TVET teachers nationwide.
According to Onigbanjo, the initiative forms part of the federal government’s strategy to reposition technical and vocational education as a catalyst for industrialisation, job creation and economic growth.
“We are working with the Institute of Technical Education Services in Singapore to develop capacity for TVET in Nigeria. This training focuses on pedagogy and assessment, equipping teachers with the best methods for technical instruction,” he said.
Onigbanjo disclosed that more than 1.3 million Nigerians registered for the government’s TVET programme after it was launched last year, creating an urgent need to increase the country’s teaching capacity.
“We need more trainers. Those being trained today will return to their schools and train their colleagues, allowing us to scale up capacity across the country,” he said.
Nabila Mohamed, technical assistant to the minister of education on TVET, said the programme would help shift technical education from theory-based instruction to competency-based learning that equips students with practical workplace skills.
She said participants were being introduced to modern teaching methods that would improve student engagement and better prepare graduates for employment.
“The biggest takeaway is making training competency-based,” Mohamed said.
“Rather than focusing mainly on theory, teachers will integrate practical skills that prepare students for employment while learning effective methods of delivering those skills.”
Choo Poh Lian, manager of the academic pedagogy programme at Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services, said the training focuses on strengthening instructional methods rather than teaching specific vocational trades.
She said participants are learning practical demonstration techniques, learner engagement strategies, constructive feedback and competency-based assessment aligned with industry standards.
“We are sharing how Singapore teaches practical skills so that graduates become workplace-ready,” she said.
“We are focusing on pedagogy—how teachers demonstrate, guide students through practical tasks, provide constructive feedback and assess competencies based on industry performance criteria.”
Odebode Adegoke, a participant from the Federal Science and Technical College, Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun state, described the programme as timely and transformative.
He said the exposure to Singapore’s TVET model would help teachers move beyond conventional classroom instruction by placing greater emphasis on practical demonstrations, hands-on learning and continuous assessment.
The programme, which runs from June 29 to July 10, is expected to strengthen the capacity of TVET instructors nationwide and improve the quality of technical education to produce graduates with industry-relevant skills.
