NIGERIA, UK PARTNER ON YOUTH SKILLS TRAINING
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – MAY 23, 2026
The Federal Government has entered into a partnership with the United Kingdom to equip Nigerian youths with skills for global job opportunities, with focus on technical and vocational education and training, digital skills, and industry-led apprenticeships under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during a bilateral meeting with the United Kingdom’s Minister of State for Skills, Baroness Jacqui Smith, on the sidelines of the Education World Forum 2026 in London.
Dr. Alausa said the Federal Government is repositioning Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET, as a major driver of employment and productivity by aligning education reforms with labour market needs in priority sectors such as clean energy, healthcare, engineering, digital technology, and artificial intelligence.
He explained that Nigeria is implementing a modern skills framework anchored on quality assurance, stronger industry participation, globally recognised accreditation, and structured apprenticeship pathways aimed at meeting present and future workforce demands.
According to the minister, the partnership will involve Federal Technical Colleges, the National Board for Technical Education, and other relevant agencies in joint curriculum development, staff exchanges, accreditation alignment, and skills matching initiatives.
Both countries also agreed on plans for UK skills institutions to visit Nigeria to jointly develop programmes that will strengthen technical education and workforce readiness.
The engagement further prioritised improving the status of TVET through industry recognition and clearer career progression pathways, drawing lessons from reforms under Skills England.
Dr. Alausa, who is a member of the Global Partnership for Education Board, also called for continued UK support for the Global Partnership for Education, GPE, 2026–2030 replenishment campaign, which Nigeria will co-host with Italy during the United Nations General Assembly in September 2026.
Baroness Smith commended Nigeria’s ongoing reforms in the education sector and pledged to advocate sustained support from the United Kingdom for the country’s skills development initiatives.
