Sixty technical educators drawn from Federal and selected State technical colleges across Nigeria have begun a 10 day Train the Trainers programme under a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Education and Singapore's Institute of Education and Educational Services, as the Federal Government moves to bridge the country's skills gap and strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training delivery.

The initiative, implemented in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education, focuses on pedagogy and assessment and follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria and Singapore earlier this year to enhance technical education delivery nationwide.

Speaking at the opening ceremony in Abuja on Monday, the National Project Coordinator of the Special Programmes Operations and Implementation Unit in the Office of the Minister of Education, Adebayo Onigbanjo, described the programme as the beginning of broader reforms to improve the quality of technical instruction across the country.

"So today we are kicking off the first of many training programmes for trainers," he stated, adding that NBTE is playing a central role in ensuring accreditation and quality assurance. "In partnership with NBTE, which is responsible for accreditation, this training is focused on teaching Nigerians the pedagogy for TVET and technical training. They will also learn about assessments," Onigbanjo said.

He disclosed that a follow up session is planned for Lagos, with selected participants expected to undergo further training in Singapore. Onigbanjo noted the scale of demand for the programme, revealing that 1.3 million Nigerians signed up to be trained when it launched in 2025.

One of the participants, Assistant Director at the Federal Government Technical College Ijebu Imushin, Odebode Adegoke, said the training would help shift technical education towards more practical and learner centred approaches. "We have been teaching theory, less of practical. But now I intend to ask questions on how we can improve practical training and make it more relevant to students," he stated.

Adegoke described the opening session as intensive, noting that facilitators from Singapore had broken down the programme in a way that signalled serious practical and theoretical work ahead.

The 10 day programme is expected to produce a core group of educators who will transfer improved teaching methods across Nigeria's Technical Colleges, positioning TVET as a driver of skills development and youth employment.