• Nigeria launches a national committee to anchor skills training in education policy

• The initiative targets youth unemployment and skills mismatches

• Technical and vocational training is repositioned as a growth driver

Nigeria has launched the WorldSkills Nigeria National Team Committee, a new body designed to place skills-based training at the center of the country’s education and economic strategy. The committee was inaugurated on Jan. 22, in Abuja, against a backdrop of strong demand for practical skills that continues to outpace supply, making youth job placement particularly challenging.

Chaired by Minister of State for Education Suwaiba Sa'idu Ahmad and made up of 15 members, the committee was officially launched by Education Minister Maruf Tunji Alausa, who described the move as a “historic turning point in Nigeria’s renewed commitment to skills development.” According to the Ministry of Education, the committee aims to align training programs with international standards, develop youth skills, and strengthen the country’s competitiveness.

The federal government has decided to reposition technical and vocational education and training as a central pillar of economic growth. Minister Alausa said that an excessive focus on theoretical education has contributed to unemployment and widened the gap between available skills and those sought by employers.

Nigeria continues to face a persistent mismatch between the skills held by young graduates and the real needs of the labor market, despite efforts to better link training and employment. A study by the International Labour Organization, cited by local media, shows that Nigeria’s youth unemployment rate reached 6.5% at the end of 2025, even though the official overall unemployment rate stood lower, at around 4.3%. The labor market remains largely dominated by the informal economy, which accounts for nearly 93% of jobs, leaving many young people in precarious positions with limited prospects for stable employment.

In response, the Nigerian government is rolling out technical and vocational training programs to improve employability. In September 2025, the authorities announced an investment of $104.85 million to equip 650,000 young people with technical, vocational, and digital skills, in line with evolving industries and labor market needs.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou