The Federal Government and the United Kingdom have strengthened their partnership on skills development to prepare Nigerian youths for employment opportunities both locally and in the global labour market.
The agreement was reached during a bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the UK Minister of State for Skills, Baroness Smith, on the sidelines of the Education World Forum 2026 in London.
Speaking during the meeting, Alausa said discussions centred on expanding cooperation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), digital skills, apprenticeship programmes, and workforce readiness. He noted that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to equip young Nigerians with practical skills required in an increasingly competitive global economy.
Details of the meeting were contained in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Mr. Ikharo Attah.
According to Alausa, the Federal Ministry of Education is repositioning TVET as a key driver of employment generation, industrial growth, innovation, and national productivity.
“Our reforms are aligned with labour market needs to ensure young Nigerians acquire relevant skills for emerging economic opportunities,” the minister said.
He identified clean energy, healthcare, engineering, digital technology, and artificial intelligence as priority sectors under the government’s skills development strategy.
Alausa further disclosed that Nigeria is implementing a modern skills framework anchored on quality assurance, stronger industry participation, internationally recognised accreditation, and structured apprenticeship pathways.
He added that the Nigeria-UK collaboration would involve Federal Technical Colleges, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and other relevant institutions. According to him, the partnership will support curriculum development, staff exchange programmes, accreditation alignment, and skills-matching initiatives.
The minister also revealed that both countries had agreed on plans for UK skills institutions to visit Nigeria to jointly develop programmes in clean energy, healthcare, engineering, digital technology, and artificial intelligence.
He said discussions also explored apprenticeship models aimed at strengthening the connection between training outcomes and industry demand while maintaining high-quality standards.
Alausa noted that Nigeria and the UK remained committed to improving the perception of TVET through greater industry recognition and clearer career pathways for learners.
On education financing, the minister 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 New York in September 2026.
Responding, Baroness Smith commended Nigeria’s ongoing education reforms and expressed support for deeper bilateral cooperation in skills development. She also pledged continued UK backing for the GPE replenishment campaign ahead of its September launch.
