By Felix Khanoba
The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Academy of Engineering to tackle the skills gap in the country’s technical and vocational sectors.
The agreement, formalized in Abuja on Monday, aims to strengthen Technical Industrial Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TIVET) programs and enhance Nigeria’s workforce.
Speaking at the event on Monday in Abuja, TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, commended the Nigerian Academy of Engineering and the Society of Engineers for their dedication to national development.
He emphasized the urgent need for action rather than continued discussions on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
“If you go around our campuses and our institutions, it would not be wrong to say that all these years we have been paying lip service to the idea of promoting TVET,” Echono said.
He emphasized challenges such as outdated equipment in polytechnic laboratories, a shortage of technical staff, and inadequate power supply, stressing that these issues must be addressed to make TVET effective.
The MoU, he noted, provides a structured framework for collaboration in various fields related to TIVET and will help counter criticisms about Nigeria’s limited contributions to its own development.
“We are not going to take offence. We will sit down, work, and ensure that we counter some of these statements. That is the way to respond,” he added.
On his part, the President of the Nigerian Academy of Engineers, Engr. Rahamon Adisa Bello, described the MoU as a milestone that will bring together key agencies and professional bodies to support the government in strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
“It has been established that we have an inverted pyramid in the engineering profession. When we talk about the availability of professionals for development, the lack of technicians and artisans is obvious and needs to be reversed and urgently filled,” he said.
He commended the federal government’s efforts, including the launch of the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), as a step in the right direction.
Also speaking, the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr. Margaret Oguntala, underscored the critical role of engineering and technical education in national development.
“I think that the signing of this MoU is long overdue. I’m glad that today the Executive Secretary has found time for us to sign this MoU,” she said.
She reiterated that TVET is a key part of NSE’s strategic agenda, emphasizing its importance in equipping Nigerians with the technical skills necessary for industrial growth.
