Nigeria, Germany partner to export skilled Nigerian workers
The Federal Government has announced a strategic partnership with the Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Germany to facilitate the export of skilled Nigerian workers, addressing Germany’s increasing demand for technical manpower. Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made the announcement while receiving a delegation from the Chamber led by Matthias Leder on Wednesday. He […]
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa
The Federal Government has announced a strategic partnership with the Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Germany to facilitate the export of skilled Nigerian workers, addressing Germany’s increasing demand for technical manpower.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made the announcement while receiving a delegation from the Chamber led by Matthias Leder on Wednesday. He explained that the government has revitalized technical colleges nationwide to equip young Nigerians with practical skills for both local and global markets.
Alausa stated, “We will now work to set up a technical working group to draft the MoU with you, and we will integrate these students from our technical schools into the pathway. We will do it in such a way that your chamber will also participate in assessing these students while they are in school, as well as those we have already trained. The students deemed fit by your chamber will be supported through the necessary processes, including obtaining training visas from the German embassy.”
Emphasizing that the initiative promotes skill export rather than brain drain, Alausa noted that Nigeria is building a strong talent base to bridge skills gaps locally and abroad. He revealed that the first cohort of 250,000 participants under the TVET programme has commenced training, with a target of one million.
“The government is currently implementing the dual mandate training programme free of charge in all technical colleges. We have seen enrolment surge by 400%, and we will continue this effort while further increasing enrolment,” he added.
Alausa also announced World Bank funding for workshops in federal and state technical colleges.
Leder commended Nigeria’s adoption of the dual vocational training model, revealing that 18 Nigerians have been selected for a three-year training programme in Germany. Between 2012 and 2018, the Chamber supported 600 trainers and trainees through partnerships with Nigerian business associations.