The federal government, working with Singapore’s Institute of Education, has begun a capacity-building programme to strengthen technical and vocational education by training instructors and educators across the country.

The 10-day intensive Train the Trainers programme, jointly run with the National Board for Technical Education, is being delivered in two cohorts, with 60 teachers currently training in Abuja and another 60 due to take part in Lagos.

National Coordinator for Special Programmes Adebayo Onigbanjo said the programme was designed to equip educators with modern teaching and assessment skills, with participants expected to pass on what they learn to colleagues through a cascading model that would ultimately benefit students nationwide.

He said the initiative aimed to build capacity in technical education by producing more competent instructors able to deliver quality vocational training, forming part of wider efforts to reposition the sector as a driver of growth, jobs and industrial development. He revealed that over 1.3 million Nigerians had registered for technical skills training when the initiative launched last year, making stronger teaching capacity essential.

Technical Assistant to the Minister on TVET Nabila Mohamed said the programme sought to shift classroom instruction from theory towards competency-based, practical learning, exposing participants to modern techniques that would better prepare students for the workplace.