The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, says the Federal Government is finalising plans to connect trainees from its skills programmes directly to global job opportunities through the National Talent Export Programme, NATEP.
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‎In a post on X on Thursday, Alausa said skills remain the major focus of the Ministry since he assumed office with the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad.
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‎He noted that the ministry’s TVET initiative has attracted over 2.6 million applications across its first and second cohorts. In the first cohort, over 100,000 trainees completed six-month training in industry-relevant technical and vocational skills. The second cohort currently has over 70,000 trainees undergoing training lasting between six to twelve months, depending on the trade.
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‎Alausa added that the Ministry is also finalising the rollout of a Digital Training Academy. The academy will partner with the 3MTT initiative under the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, led by Dr. Bosun Tijani, to deliver practical technology skills at various levels.
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‎According to him, the Ministry this week met with the NATEP team to map a pathway for trainees from the Digital Training Academy and other skilled Nigerians to access the global market through NATEP’s “Hire from Nigeria” campaign.
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‎”Training without a destination is a dead end. A certificate that sits in a drawer means nothing. A job means everything,” he said.
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‎He said while planning is still at an early stage, the government intends to move quickly.
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‎”The world’s economy is going digital and borderless. Talent no longer needs to relocate to compete globally. Nigeria has one of the youngest, most energetic populations on earth. We are not short on talent, we are short on the systems that connect the two. That’s the gap we aim to close,” Alausa stated.
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‎He commended the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, MFR, and her team for coordinating NATEP and bringing government, employers, and training providers together.
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‎”Our goal is simple: bring the world to employ from Nigeria. Let our people export their work, while they stay home, build their families, and build this country,” he said.
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FG to link TVET and Digital Academy trainees to global jobs through NATEP
