The Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Professor Idris Bugaje, has praised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its unprecedented emphasis on technical and vocational education.
Bugaje, speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, said the past two years have marked a turning point for Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Nigeria.
“These two years have been the best for TVET in Nigeria’s history since the civil war.
“Before the civil war, there were many innovations in our TVET sector, and they received considerable attention.
“But since the oil boom of the 1970s, TVET was largely neglected. It is only now that the federal government is giving it the attention it deserves,” he said.
Bugaje also commended the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, for implementing far-reaching programmes and innovations in the TVET sector.
He described Alausa as “a medical doctor with a profound knowledge of the education sector.”
Initially, Bugaje admitted he questioned the choice of a medical doctor as Minister, expecting perhaps an architect or engineer. However, he soon realised that medical training is also hands-on, and that background has clearly influenced Alausa’s appreciation of practical skills development.
He expressed hope that this current momentum would be sustained over the next six years, allowing TVET to become deeply rooted and serve as a foundation for Nigeria’s industrialisation drive.
He described the Tinubu-led administration’s investment in technical education as “the best in the country’s history since the civil war.”
Recalling the period before the 1970s, Bugaje noted that Nigeria witnessed significant innovations and attention in the TVET sector, but this focus was lost during the oil boom years, which shifted attention away from skills-based education.
