Maruf Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, has described Singapore's technical education system as a global benchmark for countries seeking to develop highly skilled and competitive workforces following the formalisation of a partnership with Singapore's Institute of Technical Education Services.
The Federal Ministry of Education signed the collaboration agreement on Thursday during a virtual ceremony linking officials in Abuja and Singapore, with Nigeria represented by the National Board for Technical Education and Singapore represented by ITEES.
Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations at the ministry, disclosed in a statement that the collaboration builds on engagements initiated during the 2025 visit of the Minister of Education, who met Singapore's Minister of Education, Desmond Lee, and visited ITEES campuses.
Further discussions with Singapore's High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lim Seng, held in February this year, helped finalise the agreement, according to the statement.
The minister stated that the collaboration would accelerate the transformation of Nigeria's technical education ecosystem by strengthening institutional capacity and equipping educators with cutting edge teaching and assessment methodologies.
Under the arrangement, ITEES will support Nigeria with a comprehensive Train the Trainer Programme designed to enhance the teaching, technical, and assessment capabilities of instructors in technical institutions across the country.
"Under the partnership, ITEES will implement a Train the Trainer Programme to strengthen the pedagogical and assessment capacity of TVET instructors across Nigeria," the statement read.
The agreement also includes leadership training in Singapore for principals and heads of departments from Nigerian technical institutions, aimed at strengthening institutional management and driving reforms within the sector, alongside the introduction of the Global Excellence Model for Skills Training to benchmark Nigerian institutions against international standards.
Nigeria will adopt the Global Excellence Model for Skills Training, an internationally recognised framework that evaluates technical institutions across seven key dimensions of TVET excellence, enabling structured assessments to guide workshop upgrades, institutional improvements, and alignment of training systems with global best practices.
The Ministry explained that the initiative supports efforts to reposition technical education as a key driver of economic growth, job creation, and industrial development, forming part of the Federal Government's broader strategy under the National Education, Skills and Research for Innovation agenda.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to leveraging strategic international partnerships to strengthen Nigeria's technical education system and equip young Nigerians with globally competitive skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving global economy.
