The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is an organ of the Federal Ministry of Education which is charged with the responsibility of regulating Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in Nigeria. The Board was created by an Act of Parliament (Act No. 9 of 11 January, 1977) as a response to the federal Government of Nigeria realization of the need to develop a critical man-power base to execute the nation’s National Development Plans initiated in the 1970s.
The Vision of the Board is “To be a world-class regulatory body for the promotion of Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Nigeria”.
The mission statement of NBTE is “To promote the production of skilled technical and professional manpower for the development and sustenance of the national economy”.
The Technical Institutions to be affected by these guidelines are those established or to be established to offer vocational, technical, technology or professional education and training programmes at the tertiary level such as Polytechnics and Monotechnics which produce technicians and technologists and other professionals or similar level of business and related manpower in Nigeria. The National Council on Education approved the following definitions for a polytechnic or a Monotechnics at its Sokoto meeting held in 1987:
NSQF formerly called NVQF is a system for the development, classification and recognition of skills, knowledge, understanding and competencies acquired by individuals, irrespective of where and how the training or skill was acquired. The system gives a clear statement of what the learner must know or be able to do whether the learning took place in a classroom, on-the-job, or less formally. The framework indicates the comparability of different qualifications and how one can progress from one level to another. The framework is the structure within which the National Skills Qualifications (NSQs) operate.
In response to the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the Federal Government's strategic emphasis on a digitally-driven economy, our Board has spearheaded the development of a digital platform for seamless communication with all institutions within our regulatory ambit. In alignment with this technological thrust, the Board is proud to unveil a paradigm-shifting approach—Technology-Driven Quality Assurance for TVET Institutions. This pioneering initiative seeks to significantly curtail the need for on-site visits, thereby relieving financial pressures on institutions nationwide. Notably, it fosters sustainability by obviating the requirement for the traditional submission of Self-Study Questionnaires (SSQ), hitherto presented in hardbound copies.
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) wishes to bring to the attention of the public that the recently approved Schemes of Service for the Polytechnic sector has been circulated and proposals for amendments of grey areas passed to the Mother of Skills in Nigeria, the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Mrs. Folasade Yemi-Esan, CFR. The 2024 Schemes is a revolutionary document with its recognition of HND holders for the first time, as Graduate Assistants like their University counterparts in our Polytechnics.
NBTE Warns Public Against Fraudulent Recruitment Scam
On December 14, 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution during its seventy-seventh session, designating March 30 as the International Day of Zero Waste, to be observed annually. This global initiative promotes Sustainable Consumption and Production, aiming to raise awareness about responsible resource use, minimize waste generation, and improve waste management practices worldwide. According to the United Nations, "Households, small businesses, and public service providers generate between 2.1 billion and 2.3 billion tons of municipal solid waste every year – from packaging and electronics to plastics and food. However, global waste management services are ill-equipped to handle this, with 2.7 billion people lacking access to solid waste collection and only 61–62 per cent of municipal solid waste being managed in controlled facilities." In commemoration of this significant day, the NBTE Centre of Excellence, a UNESCO-UNEVOC Centre, organized a webinar on Thursday, April 4, 2024, for the TVET community. The webinar aimed to raise awareness about zero waste and share innovations for converting waste to wealth within TVET institutions.
Following the launch of the online workshop aimed at introducing digital literacy competency for TVET teachers, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has successfully introduced 312 TVET teachers to digital competency. The first phase of the intensive one-week online competency-training was conducted in three cohorts for participants from 39 TVET Institutions across the country. The workshop, organized by the NBTE Centre of Excellence for TVET in collaboration with eLearning Consult, emphasizes practical applications of digital tools and strategies to enhance teaching and learning in vocational education settings.
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) have signed a Contribution Agreement to support the development of a framework for the implementation of Open, Distance and Flexible e-Learning (ODFeL) in Nigeria. The initiative aimed to strengthen the resilience of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system in Nigeria. It involves the development of a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for ODFeL, Standards and Accreditation Tools for ODFeL, and the review of the ODFeL Policy for the TVET sector.
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has launched an online workshop aimed at introducing digital literacy competency for TVET teachers. The intensive one-week training is tailored to equip Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) teachers in Nigeria with essential digital competence skills. The workshop emphasizes practical applications of digital tools and strategies to enhance teaching and learning in vocational education settings. The inaugural cohort of the workshop, which began on Monday, February 19, 2024, was inaugurated by the Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris M. Bugaje, represented by his Special Assistant, Prof. Diya’uddeen Basheer Hasan.
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has received several petitions and complaints against the Novelty Polytechnic, Kishi which alleged that the Polytechnic is offering unapproved programmes and also operating illegal campuses existing either as outreach/study centres or satellite campuses. The Board in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) carried out discreet investigations on the allegations. Findings of the investigations revealed that there is an act of outright violation of government policy on the Ban on Satellite Campuses and Outreach/ Study Centres by the Novelty Polytechnic, Kishi, Oyo State as well as a contravention of the Board’s Regulations on Offering Unapproved Programmes and Affiliations with other Institutions.