President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the release of N120 billion to the Federal Ministry of Education to advance its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) agenda, aimed at equipping 650,000 Nigerian youths with relevant technical, vocational, and digital skills.
This announcement was made by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, during the commissioning of the Community and Education Centre in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State. Represented by Prof. Leo Daniel, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Science and Technology, Ikot Abasi, the minister said the initiative forms part of the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI).
NESRI, spearheaded by the Ministry under Dr. Tunji Maruf Alausa, focuses on transitioning Nigeria from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy. Its key pillars include TVET, STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences), out-of-school children, girl-child education, digitalisation, and education quality assurance.
To attract youth participation, the ministry plans to provide stipends, starter packs, and take-off grants. “Over the next two years, the government aims to empower at least 650,000 youths with skills needed for the labour market,” the minister added.
The newly commissioned Ikot Abasi Community and Education Centre will serve as a multi-purpose facility for skills acquisition, digital literacy, adult education, and youth empowerment. It is expected to bridge educational gaps, particularly in rural communities and among out-of-school children and girls.
Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education (NMEC), Prof. Simon Ibor Akpama, described the centre as a model for sustainable community development and a response to illiteracy and youth unemployment. He urged beneficiaries to make full use of the facility and protect it against vandalism.
The Akwa Ibom State Government was commended for its support and encouraged to replicate the initiative across all 31 local government areas in the state.
