The Federal Government of Nigeria has taken a groundbreaking step to transform education by introducing 15 vocational skills which includes plumbing, tiling/floor works, POP Installation, event decoration/management, bakery/confectioneries, hairstyling, makeup, interior Design, GSM Repairs, satellite/TV antenna installation, CCTV/intercom installation and maintenance, solar installation/maintenance, garment making, agriculture and
processing, carpentry, fashion design and digital skills into the curriculum for primary and junior secondary students. This will begin in Primary 1 and continue through Junior Secondary 3 (a comprehensive nine-year learning track) across the nation.
Each of these skills are essential component of Nigeria’s burgeoning economy, creating a clear path to employment and self-sufficiency for students from a young age.
Starting from the 2025 academic year, students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in practical, industry-relevant training, preparing them to thrive in a world where hands-on skills are as crucial as academic prowess.
Teachers will be thoroughly trained, retrained, properly renumerated and strategically deployed to public and private schools nationwide, ensuring a consistent and quality-driven approach to skill development.
*VISIONARY ROOTS: THE SIMPLE Agenda*
The inclusion of skill acquisition in formal education is not a new idea but one rooted in forward-thinking visions like the *SIMPLE* Agenda. First published in 2015 and revised in 2019 by Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the Provincial Pastor In-Charge of Province 16, of the Redeemed Christian Church of God *(RCCG)*, Edo state, the document outlined a plan for the holistic transformation of the state. Pages 17–18 specifically addressed the importance of integrating skill development into education, stating:
> MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING
> “Our education policy will reflect the following objectives: … From JSS1, every child would be exposed to skill acquisition as part of the school system. They would pick four different skills from a wide range, such as Carpentry, Catering, Fashion Design, Painting, Digital Skills, Music, Healthcare, Tiling, etc. From SS1, they would then specialize in one skill. … By graduation, they would possess a DIPLOMA alongside their WAEC certificate, qualifying them for productive futures.”
This visionary approach, now embraced at the national level, was aimed at fostering an education-business partnership to create work-ready graduates. It anticipated a system in which students are equipped with a diploma in a skill, providing collateral for small business loans and positioning them as capable, independent contributors to society.
*PRESIDENT TINUBU’S BOLD MOVE: A NOD TO GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL GIANTS*
The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deserves commendation for championing this initiative, which mirrors strategies that fuel the economies of the world’s most industrialized nations, including China, the United States, Japan, and Germany. These nations are powered by a vast network of skilled professionals, particularly in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that emerged from robust, skills-focused educational programs.
With this new curriculum, Nigeria can unlock a similar wave of entrepreneurship and self-reliance, by empowering students at an early age with practical skills needed to foster innovation, drive sustainable economic growth and establish a legacy of productivity and economic independence.
*_Ademola Isa Tijani, a public affairs analyst/commentator writes from the ancient city of Ibadan._*