T
he Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, has lauded President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its unprecedented focus on technical and vocational education.
Bugaje, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said the past two years have marked a turning point for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Nigeria. He described the Tinubu-led administration’s investment in technical education as “the best in the country’s history since the civil war.”
He recalled that before the 1970s, the country saw notable innovations and attention in the TVET sector, but it was largely ignored during the years of oil wealth, which shifted the focus from skill–based education.
“These two years have been the best for TVET in Nigeria’s history since the civil war.
“Before the civil war, there were a lot of innovations in our TVET sector, and they were given attention.
“But since the oil boom of the 70s, TVET was abandoned. It is only now that the Federal Government is giving attention to TVET,” he said.
He also praised the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, for implementing far-reaching programmes and innovations in the TVET sector.
He described Alausa as “a medical doctor with a high sense of knowledge in the education sector.”
Bugaje, disclosed that he initially questioned the choice of the Minister, expecting an architect or engineer, but realised that medical training is also hands-on, and that his background had influenced his appreciation of practical skills development.
Therefore, he hoped the current momentum would be sustained over the next six years, allowing TVET to become deeply rooted and serve as a foundation for the industrialisation drive.
