Nigeria's Education Ministry Targets 10 Million Certified Talents

The Federal Government is working towards creating one million export-linked jobs and producing 10 million globally certified Nigerians by 2030 through reforms in education and skills development. This initiative was announced by Mr Ikharo Attah, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, during the “Hire From Nigeria” event at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Dr Alausa emphasized the importance of repositioning Nigeria’s education and skills system to produce adaptable talent for the global outsourcing and digitally enabled services market. He identified challenges such as the gap between training and employer demand, limited work-based learning opportunities, and access to internationally recognized certification.

The ministry is addressing these issues through curriculum reform, stronger accreditation, and expanded digital training. Additionally, the government’s free Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program has attracted over one million applications, supporting 160,000 trainees across approximately 1,200 centers nationwide.