morganable politics/Policy
The NECA director-general noted that although the programme had recorded considerable achievements, more investment was required to expand its reach and provide opportunities for unemployed young people
KaNo—
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) have called for increased investment in technical and vocational education to tackle youth unemployment and bridge the widening skills gap in Nigeria’s industrial sector.
The organisations disclosed that approximately 90 per cent of graduates of their joint Technical Skills Development Project had secured employment or established businesses, describing the initiative as an effective approach to addressing unemployment and improving industrial productivity.
They stressed that increased government funding, private sector participation and access to business financing would enable more young Nigerians to acquire relevant technical skills and become economically productive.
The Director-General of NECA, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, made the call on Thursday during the eighth edition of the ITF-NECA Technical Skills Development Project stakeholders’ dialogue forum and outstanding trainees’ awards ceremony held in Abuja.
Oyerinde explained that the initiative, established in 2009, had provided technical and vocational training to young Nigerians in more than 35 trades across the country’s six geopolitical zones, with 84 organisations participating in its implementation.
He said the programme had demonstrated the potential of collaboration between government and the organised private sector in addressing unemployment and meeting the manpower requirements of industries.
“Available project records indicate that approximately 90 per cent of graduates of this project have secured employment or established their own businesses,” he said.
According to him, the partnership emerged following a joint survey conducted by ITF and NECA in 2008, which revealed a significant mismatch between the technical skills possessed by job seekers and those required by employers.
He identified mechanical maintenance, welding, electrical and electronic maintenance, automation and instrumentation among the critical areas where industries experienced shortages of qualified personnel.
“On March 31, 2009, the NECA-ITF-TSDP was established as a strategic public-private partnership to equip young Nigerians with practical, industry-advanced technical skills and create a sustainable pipeline of skilled manpower for the nation’s industries,” Oyerinde stated.
The NECA director-general noted that although the programme had recorded considerable achievements, more investment was required to expand its reach and provide opportunities for unemployed young people.
He emphasised that Nigeria must strengthen its technical workforce to respond effectively to technological advancements, particularly automation, robotics, digital manufacturing and the transition towards cleaner energy.
Oyerinde also disclosed that NECA, in partnership with the International Organisation of Employers and Microsoft, had registered 101,000 young Nigerians for an artificial intelligence training programme.
He said more than 87,000 participants had obtained certificates, reflecting growing interest in acquiring digital skills relevant to the changing labour market.
The director-general urged financial institutions, corporate organisations and development partners to support vocational training initiatives and provide accessible financing for graduates interested in establishing businesses.
“We need to find a way to empower some of these young ones so that they can become entrepreneurs. That’s where the future of this project is,” he said.
He maintained that equipping young Nigerians with practical skills without providing opportunities to utilise them would limit the long-term impact of vocational training programmes.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the ITF Governing Council, Hamma-Adama Ali Kumo, represented by Mercy Oyewole, described technical and vocational education as critical to Nigeria’s industrialisation and economic development.
Kumo said a skilled workforce would strengthen domestic production, improve productivity and reduce dependence on foreign technical expertise.
He emphasised that the success of vocational training programmes should be assessed beyond the number of beneficiaries trained, noting that employment outcomes and business sustainability remained important indicators of impact.
“The true graduation ceremony is the day a skill begins to earn a living. That should challenge all of us to look beyond the completion of training and pay closer attention to what happens afterwards,” he said.
The council chairman urged employers to provide trainees with practical workplace experience, mentorship and opportunities for employment, stressing that industry participation was essential to producing competent technicians.
He also called for improved access to equipment, shared production facilities, entrepreneurship support and affordable financing to enable graduates to establish sustainable enterprises.
Kumo further advocated greater inclusion of women, persons with disabilities and economically disadvantaged youths in technical training programmes.
He maintained that vocational opportunities should be accessible to qualified Nigerians regardless of gender, disability or socioeconomic background.
According to him, expanding participation among underserved groups would contribute to inclusive economic growth while helping the country develop a broader pool of skilled workers.
In his remarks, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, represented by the Director of Skills Development, Gabriel Ojelade, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to promoting technical education as a means of addressing unemployment.
Ojelade said vocational training remained essential to improving labour productivity, creating decent employment opportunities and strengthening the competitiveness of Nigerian industries.
He urged stakeholders to deepen collaboration and ensure that training programmes reflected current industry requirements rather than focusing solely on theoretical knowledge.
Similarly, a representative of the Ministry of Youth Development called for the expansion of technical skills training into emerging economic sectors, including renewable energy, digital technology and advanced manufacturing.
The ministry maintained that investing in these areas would equip young Nigerians with relevant competencies and position them to benefit from opportunities created by technological advancement.
It added that the initiative could contribute significantly to poverty reduction, job creation, economic diversification and import substitution by strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to produce skilled technicians and artisans.
Participants at the forum also emphasised the importance of stronger partnerships between training institutions, employers and financial organisations to ensure that beneficiaries could successfully transition into employment or entrepreneurship.
They urged companies to open their factories and workshops to trainees, provide structured mentorship and support practical training opportunities that would expose young Nigerians to modern industrial processes.
The stakeholders maintained that sustained investment in technical education, combined with access to employment and enterprise financing, would help transform vocational skills into productive livelihoods and strengthen Nigeria’s industrial development.
