Skilled artisans without formal exams will soon get official certificates recognising their trade competence, as Nigeria’s newly inaugurated National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) governing board takes up a mandate to speed up the Recognition of Prior Learning framework, giving them access to loans, government contracts and jobs across West Africa.
The Federal Government inaugurated the board in Abuja on Thursday, more than five years after the agency last had one. Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa told the newly sworn-in members that certifying artisans under the National Skills Qualification Framework would open doors that formal certificates could not, including easier access to finance, government contracts and work opportunities in other ECOWAS countries.
Artisans to get formal recognition for their trade
Alausa said the board must work with the Industrial Training Fund and other partners to fast-track the certification of artisans who learned their trade through apprenticeship rather than classroom study.
He said Nigeria’s education system was being changed to reward practical skill over paper qualifications, producing graduates who can build businesses and create jobs instead of only holding certificates.
READ RELATED NEWS
He gave the board four main assignments: providing leadership and oversight for the sector, speeding up the artisan certification plan, reviewing technical education courses to match new technology, and managing public funds carefully.
On the curriculum review, he said polytechnics and technical colleges must update their programmes to include artificial intelligence, automation, digital tools and green technology, describing these as needed for Nigeria to compete globally.
He also asked polytechnics to gradually stop offering courses outside their technical mandate and instead focus on engineering, technology and applied science.
Alausa called technical and vocational training a national priority rather than a fallback option for students who fail to gain admission into universities. He said no country could industrialise without technicians, fabricators, automation specialists and machine operators, and that public money spent on the sector must show up in better skills, more jobs and higher productivity.
Board members promise results after long wait for leadership
Board chairman Prof. Babatunde Salako thanked President Bola Tinubu and the education minister for the appointment and promised the board would work to expand access to technical skills training for young Nigerians.
He said changing how parents, students and the public view technical education would be one of the board’s first priorities, so that more people see it as a respected career path rather than a last resort.
NBTE Executive Secretary Prof. Idris Bugaje said the agency had gone without a governing board for over five years before Thursday’s inauguration.
He called it a landmark event and said the agency would work closely with the education ministry to carry out the reform plans set out by the minister.
The inauguration is part of government’s plan to certify millions of skilled artisans nationwide under the Recognition of Prior Learning initiative, alongside the curriculum changes and funding reforms outlined by Alausa.
The board is now expected to begin implementing the four priorities set by the minister.
For More News Details, Visit New Daily Prime.
