skills,not just certificates:the case for a tvet revolution in nigeria

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) equips individuals with practical skills, technical know-how, and entrepreneurship abilities to meet the needs of the labour market. In essence, it trains people to be job-ready or job-creators, especially in fields like construction, ICT, agriculture, manufacturing, hospitality, creative arts, and more.

Today, Nigeria currently faces a youth unemployment crisis. As a matter of facts:

*Over 33% of Nigerians are unemployed, with youth being the worst hit.

*Thousands of university graduates enter the job market annually without employable skills.

*There’s a significant skills gap in areas where jobs actually exist like ICT, construction, and manufacturing.

In all these, the society continues to overvalue certificates and white-collar jobs, while undervaluing skilled trades and practical work. The mismatch between education and employment is not just unfortunate but also unsustainable.

Can TVET curb youth unemployment in Nigeria? The simple answer is 'Yes', but only if it is implemented with intentionality, industry alignment, and systemic reform. TVET has the potential to be a game changer. But like all good tools, it depends on how it is used. From plumbing to solar panel installation, fashion design to software development, welding to digital marketing, TVET empowers people to become job-ready or job creators across a wide range of industries.

A tailoring workshop

Countries like Germany, Singapore, South Korea, and Rwanda have shown how a strong TVET system can fuel economic growth, reduce unemployment, and build a resilient middle class. as such, if Nigeria must be at par with these countries, then it must go beyond lip service to structure, fund, and dignify TVET.

No matter how well-intentioned a program is, it can still collapse if it is underfunded or politicized, managed by people with no technical background, disconnected from the real labour market, built on outdated, overly theoretical curricula or still seen as inferior to university education.

Therefore, to transform TVET from a 'fallback option' into a national asset, the following must be considered:

1. Industry-Driven Curriculum: TVET must be aligned with current labour market needs. The private sector should help design the curriculum, offer internships, and shape certification standards.

2. Infrastructure & Equipment: Modern skills also require modern tools. Outdated equipment and theory-based learning must give way to hands-on, workshop-based education using digital labs, simulation technology, and industry-standard machinery.

3. Rebranding TVET: Perception matters. TVET must be rebranded as a prestigious and profitable path, not a last resort. Public campaigns should highlight success stories of artisans, creators, and skilled professionals changing their communities.

4. Trainer Quality & Motivation: We must train the trainers. TVET instructors must be well-paid, well-trained, and exposed to real industry settings. Good teachers build great futures.

5. Clear Pathways to Progress: TVET should not be a dead-end. There must be clear pathways for growth; from certificate to diploma to degree, so that a young technician today can become an engineer tomorrow, if they choose to.

6. Digital & Green Skills: TVET must keep up with the future. That means training youth in AI, coding, robotics, renewable energy, animation, drone technology, and green economy solutions. Today’s labour market is digital, and so should our training be.

7. Public-Private Partnerships (PPP): The government cannot do it alone. Industries should be encouraged to co-own training hubs, co-fund programs, and co-hire graduates. Rwanda’s Workforce Development Authority and Kenya’s Safaricom TVET hubs are solid models Nigeria can emulate.

8. Entrepreneurship Support: Training without access to capital is a setup for frustration and failure. Graduates must be linked to start-up support, microfinance, mentorship, cooperatives, and incubation programs.

The answer to Nigeria’s youth unemployment crisis may not lie in more degrees but in more skills, tools, and mindsets. If properly executed, TVET can turn millions of Nigerian youth from job seekers into job creators, from certificate holders into skilled problem-solvers.

But this won’t happen by accident. It requires bold leadership, cultural change, private sector buy-in, and consistent investment.

It is time to empower a new generation of young people who will shape not just their futures, but the future of Nigeria. The time starts NOW!