The Federal Ministry of Education has announced a major expansion of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Initiative, with plans to train over one million young Nigerians with industry-relevant skills within the next two years.

A statement from the ministry on Tuesday said that the initiative, aimed at addressing skills deficits in Nigeria and across Africa, is already underway, with about 100,000 students currently enrolled in various technical and vocational programmes nationwide.

According to the ministry, more than 1,600 technical and vocational training programmes are presently being implemented across the country, cutting across diverse sectors critical to national development and industrial growth.

The ministry disclosed that the first major expansion phase would see the enrolment of 250,000 additional trainees within the next two to three months, marking a significant scale-up of the programme.

It explained that the TVET Initiative is designed to equip participants with practical, industry-aligned competencies in areas such as industrial mechanics, electrical installation, welding and fabrication, mechatronics, solar installation, compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion, refrigeration and air conditioning (HVAC), information and communication technology (ICT), among others.

The statement noted that the programme is being implemented in close collaboration with relevant industries to enhance employability and ensure that skills acquired by trainees meet current labour market demands.

It added that the first tranche of payments for the expanded programme has already been released, while modern training equipment and robust quality assurance systems have been put in place to ensure effective delivery.

The ministry further revealed that international partnerships are being leveraged to strengthen capacity building, improve training standards and align the initiative with global best practices.

According to the ministry, the expanded TVET Initiative underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to tackling youth unemployment, boosting technical capacity and fostering sustainable economic growth through skills development.