The Federal Government has moved to deepen its partnership with Singapore on technical and vocational education and training, with plans to introduce a two-year diploma in artificial intelligence applications across Nigerian institutions.
This is according to a statement shared on X by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa.
The development follows the minister’s visit to Singapore last year and marks the next phase of bilateral collaboration aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s formal TVET system.
What the Minister said
According to Dr Alausa, he recently received Singapore’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Lim Sim Seng, in Abuja to advance discussions on implementing the agreed areas of cooperation.
He disclosed that under the partnership, Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Education Services , will support both countries on the development and rollout of a two-year technical diploma in AI applications across Nigerian institutions.
- “We will collaborate on the development and implementation of a two-year technical diploma in AI applications across institutions in the country,” he said
The proposed AI diploma programme signals a shift toward integrating advanced digital skills into Nigeria’s technical education framework, rather than limiting TVET to traditional trades.
The collaboration will also introduce the Global Excellence Model for Skills Training, a framework under which TVET institutions nationwide will be assessed across seven dimensions of excellence.
Backstory
The minister’s announcement builds on engagements Dr Alausa led in Singapore in late 2025, where he held high-level meetings with Singapore’s education officials to strengthen cooperation in TVET and broader education reforms.
These discussions included a tour of the Institute of Technical Education campuses and talks with ITE Education Services, Singapore’s global training arm, aimed at renewing and expanding the existing agreement with Nigeria’s National Board for Technical Education.
The engagements focused on advancing quality assurance, leadership development, train-the-trainer initiatives and embedding advanced technical programmes such as artificial intelligence into Nigeria’s skills ecosystem.
This visit came amid a wider push by the Federal Ministry of Education to transform TVET in Nigeria through curriculum reform, practical training focus and improved industry linkage, following overwhelming interest in government TVET initiatives that drew more than 90,000 applications within a week of rollout earlier in 2025.
Singapore is widely regarded as a model for building a skills-driven economy through structured vocational pathways, strong industry linkages and consistent investment in technical education.
More insights
In addition, they will support capacity development across Nigeria’s technical institutions with leadership training for 40 heads of institutions and a Train-the-Trainer programme
- “Under this partnership, Singapore’s ITEES will support capacity development across our technical institutions, including leadership training for 40 heads of institutions, a Train-the-Trainer programme focused on assessment methodology and pedagogy, and the introduction of the Global Excellence Model for Skills Training, through which TVET institutions nationwide will be assessed across seven dimensions of excellence,”
The leadership training and Train-the-Trainer components are expected to strengthen institutional governance and improve teaching quality, while the Global Excellence Model introduces a measurable performance framework for assessing TVET institutions nationwide
What you should know
Federal Government has been actively reforming Nigeria’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training sector with several new policies and programmes.
In 2025, the government launched a nationwide TVET programme aimed at equipping Nigerians with industry-relevant skills and called on vocational centres, training centres and mastercraft persons to register for accreditation to access government funding. This push is designed to improve quality standards and expand access to practical skills training across the country.
The reforms also led to an 80% focus on practical skills and 20% on theory in TVET curricula, a shift toward hands-on learning that better prepares students for the labour market.
The impact of these measures has been visible in enrolment trends, with TVET entrance examination participation surging by nearly 300% in 2025 compared with the previous year.
Additionally, the government introduced direct support for students and institutions, including stipends for technical college trainees and upgrades to technical colleges, to help boost participation and improve outcomes.
Recently, they began enforcing a biometric attendance verification system across all TVET centres as part of efforts to improve transparency and ensure training benefits reach the right participants. This is to curb fraud and monitor participation in the programmes.
