• Nigeria approves 48 billion naira to boost engineering education

• Funds target labs, workshops at 12 federal universities

• Initiative aims to produce job-ready, innovation-driven graduates

The Nigerian government has approved 48 billion naira ($35 million) to strengthen engineering education across 12 federal universities of technology and selected conventional universities. Education Minister Maruf Olatunji Alausa announced the initiative on Monday, March 2.

Under the program, 4 billion naira will be allocated to each university to rehabilitate engineering and technology workshops, modernize laboratories and deploy advanced equipment. The funding will be disbursed through a special intervention project of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Today, we inaugurated the Ministerial Monitoring, Evaluation and Implementation Committee for the TETFund Special High Impact Intervention Project — a landmark ₦48 billion investment in Engineering and Technology education across 12 Federal Universities of Technology and… pic.twitter.com/WspO0ZyWts

— Dr. Tunji Alausa (@DrTunjiAlausa) March 2, 2026

The government says the initiative aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice in technical training.

“Our goal is clear: to produce job-ready, innovation-driven, globally competitive graduates,” Alausa said.

The measure comes as Nigeria seeks to use scientific research as a driver of job creation. In January, the government unveiled a national research and commercialisation policy designed to convert publicly funded research into products, services and technological solutions capable of supporting employment and economic competitiveness.

Persistent labour market imbalances

The initiative also aims to address structural challenges in an economy where scientific research still struggles to translate into commercial value, due to limited funding, weak intellectual property protection and limited links between universities and industry.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, continues to face a mismatch between the skills of young graduates and labour market needs, despite efforts to better align education with employment.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate among Nigerians aged 15 to 24 stood at 6.5% in the second quarter of 2024, while the underemployment rate reached 9.2%.

The labour market remains largely dominated by the informal sector, which accounts for nearly 93% of jobs.

Lydie Mobio