FG, Singapore partner to train TVET instructors in pedagogy, assessment
By Uji A Iliyasu Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the Institute of Education, Singapore, has commenced a capacity-building programme aimed at strengthening the delivery of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across the country through the training of instructors and educators.
Speaking with reporters at the training, National Coordinator, Special Programmes, Office of the Minister of Education, Adebayo Onigbanjo, explained that the initiative, tagged the “Train the Trainers (Pedagogy & Assessment) Programme,” is a 10-day intensive course jointly organised by the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the Institute of Education, Singapore.
The programme is being delivered in two cohorts, with the first batch of 60 TVET teachers drawn from federal and state levels currently undergoing training in Abuja, while a second cohort of another 60 teachers is scheduled to participate in Lagos.
Onigbanjo said participants are expected to transfer the knowledge gained to colleagues through a cascading training model, enabling the enhanced teaching methods to ultimately benefit students nationwide.
He explained that the partnership with Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services is focused on equipping teachers with the best methods for technical instruction, forming part of broader efforts to develop a new generation of highly skilled instructors.
He disclosed that over 1.3 million Nigerians registered for technical skills training when the initiative was launched last year, underscoring the need to build sufficient teaching capacity.
Also speaking, Technical Assistant to the Minister of Education on TVET, Dr Nabila Mohamed, said the programme seeks to reposition technical education by shifting classroom instruction from theory-based teaching towards competency-based practical learning that better prepares students for the workplace.
Manager of the Academic Pedagogy Programme at Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services, Choo Poh Lian, said the training was not intended to teach specific trades but to strengthen teachers’ pedagogical skills, including demonstration techniques, student engagement strategies, effective feedback mechanisms and performance-based assessment aligned with industry standards.
A participant, Odebode Adegoke of the Federal Science and Technical College, Ijebu-Imushin, Ogun State, described the training as timely and impactful, noting that it had broadened his understanding of competency-based instruction and would make learning more engaging and relevant to industry needs.
The programme, which runs from 29 June to 10 July, 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.