Enhancing Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a Tool for National Development in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Strategies

This study examines the issues, challenges and improvement strategies of technical vocational education and training (TVET) as a tool to enhance national development. Technical Vocational Educational and Training (TVET) with its relevant practical training component is widely recognized as the key to any nation becoming technologically relevant and internationally competitive in the world market. In spite of these, technical and vocational education are very much still neglected in the aspect of adequate funding, personnel, modern facilities, staff motivation which consequently are robbing the country of the economic national development to be contributed by graduates of technical/vocational education. Three research questions were raised to guide the study. The descriptive research design was used and a total 74 TVET lecturers participated in the study. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire (ICSTVET) and data were collected by the researchers. A reliability coefficient of 0.81 was established for the study through split-half method. The study revealed the following factors as challenges of TVET programmes for national development in Nigeria: lack of required TVET facilities, poor funding of TVET programmes, establishment of separate grammar school, high cost of maintaining TVET institutions and rejected students from other discipline are always admitted into TVET programmes. Thus, it was recommended that TVET admission should be for those with skills and interest, TVET lecturers should be trained on new technologies, NGOs should partner with TVET institutions in the funding process and synergy between the TVET institutions and industries for trainee to acquire practical skills and so on.