Prospects for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Nigeria: Bridging the gap between policy document and implementation

Abstract

This paper discusses the prospects technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Nigeria through bridging the gap between the policy document and practice. At the 1969 National Curriculum Conference and the eventual emergence of the National Policy on Education (NPE) in 1977, TVET was given prominence but, unfortunately, in theory only. However, the imperative of TVET for national development is no longer arguable, especially in the face of a dwindling economy, mass unemployment and the irrelevance of some academic content to societal needs. In the conceptual framework of globalization of education, this paper discusses the gaps between the TVET policy document and practice. This is historical research for which both primary and secondary sources of information were explored, including: all editions of the NPE, the Internet, and relevant journals and textbooks. A number of recommendations are made including that making education relevant to the needs of the society is desirable.