NABTEB Registrar Calls On African Institutions To Boost Skills Development For Future Growth

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), Dr. Mohammed Aminu Mohammed, has urged African educational and assessment institutions to strengthen collaboration aimed at advancing skills development and improving workforce readiness across the continent.

According to Ireporter Online, Mohammed made the appeal on Friday during a visit by a delegation from the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) to the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) headquarters in Abuja.

He noted that Africa must adopt a unified approach in developing a skilled workforce capable of meeting global labour demands, stressing that stronger institutional partnerships remain essential to improving the relevance, quality, and employability outcomes of technical education.

Welcoming the Ugandan delegation, the NABTEB boss described the engagement as a reflection of shared continental commitment to the growth of technical and vocational education and training (TVET). He added that collaboration among African bodies would help address persistent gaps in curriculum relevance and skill acquisition.

Mohammed reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to support cross-border knowledge exchange and technical cooperation, saying TVET institutions across Africa must leverage shared experiences to strengthen standards and systems.

“As TVET institutions across Africa grapple with the dual challenge of relevance and quality, collaboration of this nature offers us an invaluable opportunity to share experiences, benchmark our systems, and collectively raise standards,” he said.

He further assured the Ugandan delegation of NABTEB’s willingness to share expertise and institutional frameworks that could enhance vocational and technical assessment systems across the continent.

Highlighting the role of the NERDC, Mohammed described the council as a critical driver of curriculum development and educational innovation in Nigeria, noting that its work significantly supports assessment and quality assurance processes.

He also commended the management of NERDC for facilitating the visit, describing it as a positive step toward strengthening educational partnerships in Africa.

Expressing optimism, Mohammed said the engagement could mark the beginning of sustained cooperation between Nigeria and Uganda in TVET advancement.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NERDC, Professor Salisu Shehu, reaffirmed the council’s position as Nigeria’s apex institution for curriculum development, research, and innovation. He explained that NABTEB, established by Act 70 of 1993, plays a central role in assessing technical and business education in the country.

He also disclosed that NABTEB’s ongoing 2025 initiative to review 26 trade syllabi, including emerging areas such as robotics, coding, smart agriculture, solar photovoltaic installation, and creative media, aligns with broader efforts to modernise technical education.

Professor Shehu added that the collaboration aims to ensure that revised syllabi meet national policy standards while remaining adaptable for adoption across other African countries.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Education, Mr. Kehinde Osinaike described the engagement as a milestone in African educational cooperation, noting Nigeria’s ongoing transition from a certificate-driven system to a skills-based economy.

He emphasized that the shift requires a functional and forward-looking curriculum designed to enhance practical skills and employability across sectors.

The visit brought together officials from NABTEB, NERDC, and UVTAB to explore deeper collaboration in curriculum development, assessment standards, and technical education reform, with expectations of improving skills acquisition frameworks and strengthening employability across Africa.