Federal Government Begins Training 120 TVET Teachers with Singapore to Boost Technical Education

Federal Government has begun training 120 TVET teachers with Singapore's Institute of Technical Education Services to strengthen technical education and produce more skilled graduates.

The initiative, tagged “Train the Trainers (Pedagogy & Assessment) Programme,” was jointly organised by the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Institute of Education, Singapore.

The 10-day intensive programme is being implemented in two cohorts. The first batch of 60 teachers from federal and state technical institutions is currently undergoing training in Abuja, while another 60 participants will undertake the programme in Lagos.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, the National Coordinator, Special Programmes, Office of the Minister of Education, Adebayo Onigbanjo, said the programme was designed to equip TVET instructors with modern teaching and assessment techniques that would improve the quality of technical education nationwide.

He explained that the participants would, in turn, train their colleagues using a cascading model, thereby expanding the pool of competent instructors across the country’s technical colleges.

According to him, the initiative is part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to reposition TVET as a driver of industrialisation, employment generation and economic growth.

“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,” he said.

Onigbanjo disclosed that more than 1.3 million Nigerians registered for technical skills training when the government’s TVET initiative was launched last year, making it necessary to significantly expand the country’s 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 added.

Also speaking, Technical Assistant to the Minister of Education on TVET, Dr. Nabila Mohamed, said the programme would help shift technical education from theory-driven instruction to competency-based learning focused on practical workplace skills.

She said participants would acquire modern instructional methods that would enable them to better engage students and prepare them for employment. “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, Choo Poh Lian, explained that the training focuses on improving teachers’ instructional methods rather than teaching specific vocational trades.

According to her, participants are being trained on practical demonstration techniques, learner engagement, constructive feedback and competency-based assessment 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.

One of the participants, Odebode Adegoke of the Federal Science and Technical College, Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun State, described the programme as timely and transformative.

He said the training had deepened participants’ understanding of competency-based teaching and assessment, adding that the exposure to Singapore’s globally acclaimed TVET model would enable teachers to move beyond conventional classroom instruction by emphasising practical demonstrations, hands-on learning and continuous assessment.

The programme, which runs from June 29 to July 10, is expected to strengthen the capacity of TVET instructors nationwide and improve the quality of technical education, with the ultimate goal of producing graduates equipped with industry-relevant skills to support Nigeria’s industrial and economic development.