Nigerian govt unveils initiatives for skills development

The National Council on Skills (NCS) has unveiled new initiatives to tackle critical issues in Nigeria’s skill development sector.

The initiatives include the establishment of committee on coordination of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and States Programmes.

Announcing in a press statement on Friday from the the office of the Vice President Kashim Shettima, and signed by the Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, the initiatives are expected to drive significant advancements in Nigeria’s skills development sector and positioning the country to better meet the demands of the modern workforce and contribute to its economic growth.

Chaired by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, the newly formed committee will focus on identifying existing skill training programmes within MDAs and states, identifying dominant skills in the private sector, and developing strategies for the standardisation, recognition, and certification of these skills.

Proposed bill

The Council also proposed a draft bill for the Nigerian Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) ‘aimed at developing the skills of the nation’s workforce and improving the quality of skilled workers.’

Mr Nwokcha also announced that a separate committee, led by the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, has been tasked with reviewing this draft bill.

Addressing the 4th National Council on Skills meeting held on Friday at the Presidential Villa, the Vice President reiterated the importance of seizing opportunities, particularly in the digital space.

He was quoted as saying: “India is expected to earn $100 billion from outsourcing alone this year. We have a lot of unemployed graduates who can work comfortably from their homes and earn a minimum of $40,000 per annum. If we have one million Nigerian youths working in the digital space, we will earn more than what we generate from the sale of crude oil, and it will have a multiplier effect on our economy.”

He urged the committees to work diligently as a team to address the challenges in the skills development sector, emphasising the need to focus on high-earning skills in the rapidly changing global landscape.

Minister speaks

Speaking earlier, Mr Mamman noted the importance of integrating skills into the entire education sector for Nigeria’s true transformation.

“The whole idea is to bring skills into the entire education sector if Nigeria is to be truly transformative. The work of this council will be a major driver in accomplishing that.”

The minister also highlighted the need for conducting skills surveys and labour market information to provide policymakers with reliable and timely data on job quality, skill gaps, and policy design for poverty reduction.

Mr Nwokcha added that NSQF aims to establish a system for the development, recognition, and enforcement of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and Skills Qualifications.

“It seeks to harmonise the actions of all stakeholders within the Skills Development Eco-System for synergised efforts toward the country’s contemporary developmental agenda and encourage public-private partnerships for workplace training and learning.”