Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has said that the Federal Government is deliberately developing a new generation of skilled young Nigerians to address the country’s workforce challenges and meet international demands.
Dr. Alausa stated that the export of Nigerian skills is not an act of brain drain but a strategic effort to promote the nation’s talent and improve its global competitiveness. Speaking during a meeting with a delegation from the Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce in Germany, led by Chief Executive Officer Dr. Matthias Leder, the Minister emphasized that Nigeria’s partnership with Germany aims to bridge the global manpower gap through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
He explained that the Ministry of Education will collaborate with the Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce to create pathways for Nigerian TVET graduates to work in Germany. According to him, this move will allow the country to benefit economically from its skilled workforce while also contributing to global industrial development.
“We will now work to set up a technical working group to begin to draft the MoU with you and we will feed these students in our technical school to the pathway,” Alausa said. “We will do it in such a way that you will also come in for the assessment of these students while they are in school and even the ones we have trained. The ones that your chamber deems fit to travel, we will follow through the processes that we will put in place up to getting training visas from the German embassy.”
Dr. Alausa revealed that the first cohort of 250,000 participants under the government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training programme has begun training. The Federal Government, he said, is targeting one million young Nigerians in the ongoing skills development plan.
He also disclosed that the Dual Mandate Training programme has been implemented across all federal technical colleges. “When we met last year November, we learnt from what you said about this Dual Mandate Training and I am happy to report to you that we have implemented that in all our technical colleges. The Federal Government has announced that going to our technical colleges is going to be free. We are paying everything so it’s free, and we have seen the surge of enrolment in our technical colleges has gone up by 400%, and we are going to continue this and increase more enrolment,” he said.
The Minister added that the government has secured funding from the World Bank to build and equip workshops in all federal technical colleges, as well as some state-owned institutions, to ensure that students gain practical skills that align with international standards. He noted that this funding will help Nigeria modernize its vocational training infrastructure and create employment opportunities for young people.
Dr. Alausa commended the Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce for its continuous support in promoting Dual Vocational Training in Nigeria. He mentioned that the Chamber has worked in partnership with the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, as well as other regional chambers, to strengthen skills acquisition programmes in the country.
He emphasized that the Federal Government is determined to take full ownership of the Dual Vocational Training model to ensure its sustainability. According to him, the initiative will not only boost industrial development but also position Nigerian youths for better job opportunities within and outside the country.
Dr. Matthias Leder, in his remarks, highlighted that between 2012 and 2018, the Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry supported over 600 trainers and trainees in Nigeria through vocational training programs. These initiatives were carried out in partnership with the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Ogun State Council of Chambers of Commerce Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OCUNCCIMA), the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), and the Nigerian-German Business Association (NGBA).
Leder noted that the Dual Vocational Training system offers an effective solution to Nigeria’s skills shortage and promotes industrial growth. He announced that 18 Nigerians have been selected through a rigorous process to begin learning the German language before starting a three-year vocational training program in Germany.
“There are a lot of Nigerians willing to pay thousands of dollars to migrate illegally, but it’s much cheaper to migrate legally,” he said, adding that legal labour migration creates safer and more sustainable opportunities for young people seeking better prospects abroad.
He also praised former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who now serves as the Managing Partner of Bruit Costaud, for supporting the chamber in strengthening its collaboration with Nigeria.
Other members of the German delegation included Marina França Leder, wife of the CEO; Tim Müller, Deputy Director, Foreign Trade; Norbert Noisser, Senior Advisor Africa/China; and Dr. Kristen Albrecht, Head of Competence Centre Africa.
