Opinion
Repositioning Technical Education In Nigeria
Technical and vocation education and training are learning experiences that can make one self-reliant. These learning experiences may occur in a variety of learning context, including educational institutions and work places, as well as apprenticeship. Technical education is practicable in both developed and developing countries.
Vocational education can be formal and non-formal, such education and training could be carried out in secondary education programmes, technical colleges, polytechnics, community colleges, and higher education institutions.
It could be pre-employment vocational education and training and continuing vocational course undertaken whilst in employment. Pre-employment education and training offers initial training which seem to be the beginning of a process alternating between learning and work. The rapid changes in skills and the emergence of new occupations among other things result in quick obsolescence of skill and knowledge. Hence retraining of individuals in these new careers in order to stay employable is important.
This training was initially considered in many countries including Nigeria as a common phenomenon. People considered Technical education as fit for only the academically less endowed. They saw it as a system of education for the poor. But today, technical education has become an integral part of education for all initiatives. Through its orientation towards self-relevance, skills acquisition, knowledge and attitude, it plays an essential role in promoting economic growth and contributes to poverty reduction. TVET focuses on developing those employable skills which are so crucial in competitive labour makets, economic growth and educational development. It enriches a person for life as it provides the competences which are necessary in a democratic society. For the under-privileged and marginalised group in particular, it can serve as a means to a better life.
Its neglect in any society could be likened to a driver who embarked on a distant journey with an un-serviced vehicle. The upsurge of unemployment, prostitution, poverty, robbery, kidnapping, militancy, cultism, bunkery, and oil-pipeline vandalisation and youth restiveness could be traced to the neglect of vocational education programmes and institutions in our country. This was sequel to the fact that the government has been preoccupied with meeting international goals of expanding basic education rather than developing a technical education system which those in the rural areas could take advantage of. Consequently, the neglect of indigenous technological skills which was encouraged in basic primary school pupils through local craft (handiwork) has caused the lack of passion for technological skills. It is in the light of these that the need for repositioning education education programmes and institutions in Nigeria becomes very essential.
Nigeria has an estimated population of about 150 million out of which 79 percent are youths under 35 years. The important question here is, out of this how many youths enroll in technical education-related discipline annually? How many youths does the government place on scholarship? If we could sincerely answer these questions as a nation and try as much as possible to justify them, that will mark the dawn of our success technologically, economically and socially.
When the youths are fully developed the tendency to depend on the government will be minimal. They will be self-reliant and there will be employment opportunities.
China achieve a self-reliance in technology by mobilising its human and material resources. Today, their technological success is so visible, that we purchase their product.
Japan achieved self-reliance in technology by the reformation of her education system base on Meiji restoration, and by its application in the development of her indigenous technology in the spirit of self relevance. Nigerian government should awaken the spirit of self-reliance by practically complying with the National Policy on Science, Technology and Vocational Education as out-lined in our National Policy on Education.
By this, our institutions/universities will seize from producing mere science historians who could only read and memorise scientific facts.
Technical education programme should be established rural area. Craft development centres should be built and fully equippend with equipment and trained teachers/instructors in at least every local government area in Nigeria. This will curb social vices earlier mentioned above and control migration to urban areas.
Jonathan is a post graduate student University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Ataebirien Ijok Jonathan
From all indications, Nigeria possesses enough human and material resources to become a true economic powerhouse in Africa. According to the National Population Commission (NPC, 2023), the country’s population has grown steadily within the last decade, presently standing at about 220 million people—mostly young, vibrant, and innovative. Nigeria also remains the sixth-largest oil producer in the world, with enormous reserves of gas, fertile agricultural land, and human capital.
Yet, despite this enormous potential, the country continues to grapple with underdevelopment, poverty, unemployment, and insecurity. Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS, 2023) show that about 129 million Nigerians currently live below the poverty line. Most families can no longer afford basic necessities, even as the government continues to project a rosy economic picture.
The Subsidy Question
The removal of fuel subsidy in 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been one of the most controversial policy decisions in Nigeria’s recent history. According to the president, subsidy removal was designed to reduce fiscal burden, unify the foreign exchange rate, attract investment, curb inflation, and discourage excessive government borrowing.
While these objectives are theoretically sound, the reality for ordinary Nigerians has been severe hardship. Fuel prices more than tripled, transportation costs surged, and food inflation—already high—rose above 30% (NBS, 2023). The World Bank (2023) estimates that an additional 7.1 million Nigerians were pushed into poverty after subsidy removal.
A Critical Economic View
As an economist, I argue that the problem was not subsidy removal itself—which was inevitable—but the timing, sequencing, and structural gaps in Nigeria’s implementation.
- Structural Miscalculation
Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries remain nonfunctional. By removing subsidies without local refining capacity, the government exposed the economy to import-price pass-through effects—where global oil price shocks translate directly into domestic inflation. This was not just a timing issue but a fundamental policy miscalculation.
- Neglect of Social Safety Nets
Countries like Indonesia (2005) and Ghana (2005) removed subsidies successfully only after introducing cash transfers, transport vouchers, and food subsidies for the poor (World Bank, 2005). Nigeria, however, implemented removal abruptly, shifting the fiscal burden directly onto households without protection.
- Failure to Secure Food and Energy Alternatives
Fuel subsidy removal amplified existing weaknesses in agriculture and energy. Instead of sequencing reforms, government left Nigerians without refinery capacity, renewable energy alternatives, or mechanized agricultural productivity—all of which could have cushioned the shock.
Political and Public Concerns
Prominent leaders have echoed these concerns. Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, described the subsidy removal as “good but wrongly timed.” Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party also faulted the government’s hasty approach. Human rights activists like Obodoekwe Stive stressed that refineries should have been made functional first, to reduce the suffering of citizens.
This is not just political rhetoric—it reflects a widespread economic reality. When inflation climbs above 30%, when purchasing power collapses, and when households cannot meet basic needs, the promise of reform becomes overshadowed by social pain.
Broader Implications
The consequences of this policy are multidimensional:
- Inflationary Pressures – Food inflation above 30% has made nutrition unaffordable for many households.
- Rising Poverty – 7.1 million Nigerians have been newly pushed into poverty (World Bank, 2023).
- Middle-Class Erosion – Rising transport, rent, and healthcare costs are squeezing household incomes.
- Debt Concerns – Despite promises, government borrowing has continued, raising sustainability questions.
- Public Distrust – When government promises savings but citizens feel only pain, trust in leadership erodes.
In effect, subsidy removal without structural readiness has widened inequality and eroded social stability.
Missed Opportunities
Nigeria’s leaders had the chance to approach subsidy removal differently:
- Refinery Rehabilitation – Ensuring local refining to reduce exposure to global oil price shocks.
- Renewable Energy Investment – Diversifying energy through solar, hydro, and wind to reduce reliance on imported petroleum.
- Agricultural Productivity – Mechanization, irrigation, and smallholder financing could have boosted food supply and stabilized prices.
- Social Safety Nets – Conditional cash transfers, food vouchers, and transport subsidies could have protected the most vulnerable.
Instead, reform came abruptly, leaving citizens to absorb all the pain while waiting for theoretical long-term benefits.
Conclusion: Reform With a Human Face
Fuel subsidy removal was inevitable, but Nigeria’s approach has worsened hardship for millions. True reform must go beyond fiscal savings to protect citizens.
Economic policy is not judged only by its efficiency but by its humanity. A well-sequenced reform could have balanced fiscal responsibility with equity, ensuring that ordinary Nigerians were not crushed under the weight of sudden change.
Nigeria has the resources, population, and resilience to lead Africa’s economy. But leadership requires foresight. It requires policies that are inclusive, humane, and strategically sequenced.
Reform without equity is displacement of poverty, not development. If Nigeria truly seeks progress, its policies must wear a human face.
References
- National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). (2023). Poverty and Inequality Report. Abuja.
- National Population Commission (NPC). (2023). Population Estimates. Abuja.
- World Bank. (2023). Nigeria Development Update. Washington, DC.
- World Bank. (2005). Fuel Subsidy Reforms: Lessons from Indonesia and Ghana. Washington, DC.
- OPEC. (2023). Annual Statistical Bulletin. Vienna.
By: Amarachi Amaugo