Nigeria has formally launched a push to dismantle its decades old system of unstructured career guidance, bringing three federal ministries, UNESCO, and GIZ to the table to build a policy framework that will determine how millions of young Nigerians choose their careers.

The high level policy dialogue, held at the United Nations House in Abuja, brought together the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, and other development and technical partners.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abel Enitan, framed the workshop as a turning point in Nigeria's education reform agenda, arguing that career guidance had long been treated as a secondary function rather than a structural priority.

"Counselling in our institutions has been treated as a secondary service rather than a strategic necessity. In today's world, students need more than a syllabus; they need a compass," Enitan stated.

He noted that the proposed framework would align individual aspirations with national economic priorities, particularly in agriculture value chains, construction, and digital skills, while integrating labour market intelligence into school counselling systems. Enitan also stressed the need to elevate Technical and Vocational Education and Training as a first choice pathway and to make improved employment outcomes a measurable result of education investment.

The Acting Head of Education at UNESCO Abuja, Oladeji Adeyemi, cautioned that even high performing education systems fall short without a coordinated career guidance structure, and called for clearly defined institutional roles and full stakeholder accountability in implementing the new policy.

"Career Guidance and Counselling is not an add on. It is the bridge that connects learning to livelihoods," Adeyemi disclosed.

He described the workshop as a platform to harmonise stakeholder perspectives, validate earlier technical work, and agree on a coherent implementation pathway, stressing that no single institution could deliver effective career guidance in isolation.

Over two days, participants are expected to review international best practices, conduct technical discussions, and jointly define the structure and pillars of the proposed framework. The exercise is expected to produce a consolidated draft that will guide career guidance and counselling across Nigeria's education and labour systems.

UNESCO, under its Better Education for Africa's Rise initiative, and GIZ reaffirmed their continued backing for Nigeria's education and skills reform agenda.

Both Enitan and Adeyemi underscored a shared ambition: moving Nigeria from a system of career by chance to one of career by choice, where young Nigerians have structured pathways to skills development and sustainable employment.