By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

The Federal Government has commenced an intensive capacity-building programme for technical college teachers in partnership with Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services (ITES), as part of efforts to transform Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) into a practical, industry-driven system capable of meeting Nigeria’s growing demand for skilled manpower.

The 10-day “Train the Trainers” programme, organised in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), opened on Monday with 60 instructors drawn from federal and selected state technical colleges across the country.

Speaking at the opening, the National Coordinator, Special Programmes under the Minister of Education, Mr. Adebayo Onigbanjo, said the initiative was designed to equip technical educators with modern teaching methods and competency-based assessment techniques that would ultimately improve the quality of TVET delivery nationwide.

According to him, the programme forms part of a broader partnership between Nigeria and Singapore aimed at developing a new generation of highly skilled technical instructors capable of training thousands of students across the country.

“We are working with the Institute of Technical Education Services in Singapore to develop capacity for TVET in Nigeria. This training focuses on pedagogy and assessment, equipping teachers with the best methods for technical instruction,” Onigbanjo said.

He disclosed that another batch of 60 teachers would undergo similar training in Lagos in the coming months, while another cohort would receive hands-on exposure in Singapore.

Onigbanjo explained that the government adopted the “train-the-trainer” model to rapidly expand the country’s pool of competent technical instructors following the overwhelming response to the national TVET programme.

He revealed that over 1.3 million Nigerians registered for technical skills training when the initiative was launched last year, making it imperative to build sufficient teaching capacity.

“We need more trainers. Those being trained today will return to their schools and train their colleagues, allowing us to scale up capacity across the country,” he said.

Also speaking, Technical Assistant to the Minister of Education on TVET, Ms. Nabila Mohamed, said the programme seeks to reposition technical education by shifting classroom instruction from theory-based teaching to competency-based practical learning.

She noted that the training would expose participants to modern instructional techniques that would enable them to better engage students and prepare them for the workplace.

“The biggest takeaway is making training competency-based. Rather than focusing mainly on theory, teachers will integrate practical skills that prepare students for employment while learning effective methods of delivering those skills,” she said.

Manager of the Academic Pedagogy Programme at Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services, Ms. Choo Poh Lian, said the training was not intended to teach specific trades but to strengthen teachers’ pedagogical skills for practical instruction.

She explained that participants would learn demonstration techniques, student engagement strategies, effective feedback mechanisms and performance-based assessment methods aligned with industry standards.

“We are sharing how Singapore teaches practical skills so that graduates become workplace-ready. We are focusing on pedagogy,how teachers demonstrate, guide students through practical tasks, provide constructive feedback and assess competencies based on industry performance criteria,” she said.

The programme, which runs from June 29 to July 10, marks another milestone in the Federal Government’s drive to reposition technical and vocational education as a key pillar for job creation, industrial development and economic growth.