Nigeria has begun a major restructuring of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), as the Federal Ministry of Education engages KPMG Advisory Services to assess the agency and develop a new framework for regulating the country’s technical and vocational education system.
The reform, initiated by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, is expected to affect how the NBTE oversees polytechnics, monotechnics and other technical institutions across the country. The government says the objective is to create a stronger institution capable of responding more effectively to Nigeria’s changing labour market and skills needs.
The KPMG engagement will examine the NBTE’s governance structure, organisational design, operational processes, workforce capacity and service delivery. The findings are expected to inform a transformation roadmap for the agency and bring its operations more closely in line with its statutory responsibilities and the Federal Government’s wider Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) reforms.
KPMG assessment puts skills and employability at the centre
For Nigeria, the restructuring is significant because technical education is increasingly being presented as an important route to employment, entrepreneurship and industrial development.
Alausa said the success of TVET reforms cannot depend only on new curricula, equipment and infrastructure. According to him, the institutions responsible for regulating and implementing technical education must also be strong enough to deliver the expected results.
The minister said the proposed changes would strengthen quality assurance, accountability, institutional oversight and collaboration between technical institutions and industry.
KPMG’s assessment has also highlighted some of the weaknesses within the existing system. Oluwole Adelokun, Partner for Strategy and Customer Solutions at KPMG Africa and KPMG in Nigeria, said about 93 per cent of Nigeria’s workforce operates within the informal economy, while nearly 12 per cent of young people are not in education, employment or skills training.
However, the assessment also points to an opportunity that Nigeria may not be exploiting fully. Adelokun said Nigeria ranked second only to Singapore among the countries assessed for the employability of TVET graduates.
That finding suggests that technical education can produce graduates with strong employment prospects when training is properly connected to the needs of employers.
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Curriculum reform adds momentum to NBTE overhaul
The NBTE restructuring is taking place alongside a wider effort to modernise technical education curricula.
The Federal Government, with a ₦1 billion intervention from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has developed 27 new National Occupational Standards and updated four existing standards, bringing the number reviewed to 31.
The standards are intended to establish a clearer progression from artisan-level training through National Certificate programmes, Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) qualifications.
The move comes at a time when employers increasingly need workers who can demonstrate practical abilities rather than rely solely on academic qualifications.
KPMG also identified outdated curricula as a major challenge. According to Adelokun, more than 55 per cent of the curricula assessed across areas including engineering, science, arts and design were outdated.
Funding limitations and the existing five-year curriculum review cycle were also identified as factors that can make it difficult for technical education programmes to keep pace with technological and industrial changes.
For students and prospective students, the significance of these changes goes beyond government policy. A more responsive technical education system could mean training that better reflects the actual skills employers require.
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Back story: Why Nigeria is rethinking technical education
Nigeria has long struggled with the gap between education and employment. While universities continue to produce large numbers of graduates, employers in several sectors also require technicians, artisans and other practically trained professionals.
This has made TVET an increasingly important part of discussions around youth employment, productivity and economic development.
The Federal Government’s latest approach seeks to address the issue from both sides. Curriculum reforms are intended to make training more relevant, while the restructuring of the NBTE is designed to strengthen the institution responsible for oversight and regulation.
Alausa said the broader objective is to build an NBTE that is more agile, effective and capable of supporting a skilled and globally competitive workforce. The ministry also wants technical education to place greater emphasis on practical competence, innovation, enterprise development and employability.
The real test, however, will be implementation. Restructuring an institution alone will not solve the challenges facing Nigerian technical education if students continue to graduate without adequate equipment, practical exposure, qualified instructors and meaningful links with industry.
If the KPMG assessment translates into practical institutional changes and the curriculum reforms are properly implemented, the NBTE overhaul could become an important step towards making technical education a more attractive and economically valuable pathway for Nigerian young people.
