RE-IMAGINING TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET) IN NIGERIA: ADDRESSING ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS THROUGH STRATEGIC INNOVATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is widely recognised as one of the most effective pathways for equipping young people with practical skills for employment, entrepreneurship, and national development. In Nigeria, despite policy recognition and sustained support from government and international development partners, the sector continues to face persistent administrative and structural problems that limit its effectiveness. These problems include inadequate and inconsistent funding, obsolete workshop facilities, curricula that are poorly aligned with contemporary labour-market demands, limited opportunities for
instructors to update their industrial competencies, weak collaboration between institutions and industry, and the continued perception of vocational education as a second-choice pathway. Although previous studies have extensively documented these challenges, most have focused on describing individual problems and proposing isolated solutions. Consequently, there remains a need for an integrated and practical framework that enables TVET institutions to respond to these interconnected challenges in a systematic and sustainable manner. This paper addresses that gap by examining the major administrative and structural issues confronting TVET in Nigeria and proposing an original conceptual model known as the Adaptive Skill Ecosystem Framework (ASEF). The framework integrates four mutually reinforcing pillars: curriculum co-creation with industry, periodic instructor immersion in workplaces, diversified institutional funding mechanisms, and deliberate public rebranding of technical careers. Rather than treating these elements as separate reforms, ASEF presents them as components of a continuous adaptive system capable of responding to technological change, evolving labour-market demands, and local economic realities. By demonstrating how the framework
bridges gaps identified in previous literature, this paper moves beyond problem identification to provide a practical model that can guide institutional reform and policy implementation. It concludes that adopting ASEF can strengthen the capacity of Nigerian technical colleges and polytechnics to produce industry-ready graduates, promote youth employment and entrepreneurship, and contribute more effectively to sustainable national development.