Otamere Gladness 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Minister of Education Maruf Tunji Alausa champions non-formal education and vocational skills development as critical tools for tackling youth unemployment and reducing the number of out-of-school children.
Speaking at the Education World Forum in London, Alausa says the administration of President Bola Tinubu is expanding alternative education programmes to equip young Nigerians with practical and entrepreneurial skills.
The minister addresses a special plenary session moderated by Prince Edward on Wednesday.
“What we are doing in Nigeria is because we have a lot of out-of-school children,” Alausa says. “We have to find a way that we can quickly get them a kind of non-formal education.”
He reveals that the government has introduced an accelerated basic education curriculum alongside expanded Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes.
According to him, the TVET initiative offers tuition-free technical training and start-up support to help young Nigerians gain employable skills.
Alausa also highlights ongoing mass literacy campaigns, Almajiri integration programmes and digital skills training embedded within the national curriculum.
“The whole goal of what we are doing here is to really get them the skills. Skills for the present and skills for the future,” he says.
The minister commends Prince Edward’s 2025 visit to Nigeria and reiterates the government’s commitment to educational reforms aimed at improving economic opportunities for young people.
Nigeria continues to face one of the world’s highest rates of out-of-school children, making education reform a major national policy priority.
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