Nigeria and Uganda have launched a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening technical and vocational education and training systems across both countries, with a focus on harmonising skills certification and improving the employability of graduates.
The collaboration was formalised on Monday during a benchmarking visit by the Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board to the National Business and Technical Examinations Board in Benin, Edo State.
Speaking at the engagement, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB, Mohammed Mohammed, said the partnership marked a significant step towards building a credible and globally competitive TVET assessment framework for Africa.
“I must confess, this visit carries an extraordinary significance not just for NABTEB and UVTAB as institutions, but for the broader TVET landscape across the African continent,” he said.
He described the engagement as a deliberate effort to deepen institutional cooperation between both countries in order to strengthen technical education as a driver of economic development, youth empowerment and social inclusion.
Mohammed noted that Africa’s development would remain incomplete without a strong and coordinated TVET system capable of producing skilled and employable graduates.
According to him, NABTEB has continued to collaborate with regulatory agencies, industries and international bodies to ensure that its certifications remain globally relevant and aligned with labour market needs.
“Our certificates must command global respect and our graduates must be truly employable,” he said.
He explained that the benchmarking visit would allow both institutions to exchange knowledge on assessment methodologies, examination design and quality assurance processes.
Team lead of the Ugandan delegation, Engineer Albert Akovuku, said the visit went beyond professional exchange, describing it as a reaffirmation of long-standing historical and institutional ties between both countries.
He noted that Nigeria and Uganda share a Pan-African legacy dating back to the 1960s, with cooperation spanning legal, diplomatic and educational sectors.
“We are not strangers, but partners in the progress of the African continent,” he said.
Akovuku added that Uganda’s decision to engage Nigeria was informed by NABTEB’s established TVET framework, which he described as a model for ongoing reforms in his country.
He said Uganda aspires to transition towards a digital, industry-driven and competency-based assessment system aligned with its Vision 2040 development plan.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, represented by Assistant Director of Technology and Science Education, Kolawole Osundeyi, said benchmarking remains a key tool for institutional learning and reform.
He said the exchange would allow both countries to share best practices, strengthen systems and improve efficiency in technical education delivery.
Osundeyi commended UVTAB for engaging NABTEB, describing it as one of Nigeria’s leading institutions in technical and business education assessment.
The partnership is expected to deepen cooperation between both countries as they work towards building a more standardised and industry-responsive TVET system across Africa.
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