Strengthening Industry-Responsive TVET for Agribusiness in Nigeria

Across Nigeria, many agribusiness graduates leave college with certificates but no clear path to work. Employers struggle to find people with the right skills, while training institutions often lack the facilities, labour market insights, and industry links to prepare them. The gap between what is taught and what is needed has held back young people and women in particular. On 8 October 2026 in Abuja, the SUSTAIN Project brought government, TVET institutions, industry associations, and development partners together for its Second Project Steering Committee Meeting to close that gap. The conversation moved from course to campus to career. They reviewed progress on CPD courses and fresh labour market insights, looked at how partner Colleges of Agriculture are upgrading their facilities, and explored how training institutions and agribusiness employers can work side by side. One message ran through every discussion: training only matters if it leads somewhere. That means aligning what is taught with what industry needs, creating more hands-on learning, promoting relevant skills standards, and opening clearer pathways from the classroom to the workplace. None of this happens alone. We are grateful to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Samaru College of Agriculture, SUN Business Network (SBN), Sector Skills Council for Agriculture (SSC4A), GIZ, and the Nigerian Agribusiness Group (NABG) for walking this road together. When training, employers, and policy move in the same direction, skills turn into decent work.
Continue Reading

Building Capacity for Inclusive Agribusiness Skills: Highlights from the SUSTAIN ToT Event

Great training starts with great trainers. Last week, trainers from across Nigeria’s agricultural TVET institutions came together for the SUSTAIN Training of Trainers (ToT), held from 4th to 8th October 2026. They were joined by agribusiness private sector representatives, the @National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the @SUN Business Network, and women-led organisations including Delight Women in Agriculture and female farmers, so that training is shaped alongside the people who work in the sector. Over three days, the ToT built three capabilities that work together. The first day focused on an overview of the agribusiness value chain, from farm to final customer, with trainers mapping value chains for products from different regions. Day 2 focused on delivery, with trainers practising blended and online facilitation and designing learning activities that account for limited digital access. The third day centred on inclusion, with lecturers applying gender-responsive pedagogy and adult learning principles, while agribusiness practitioners worked on inclusive workplace practices and gender-responsive leadership. Why This Matters: Trainers who combine sector knowledge, strong delivery skills and an inclusive approach can prepare learners, women and men alike, for the jobs and enterprises that exist across the whole agribusiness chain, not only on the farm. SUSTAIN is an initiative under the Team Europe Initiative Opportunity-driven Skills and Vocational Education and Training in Africa (@TEI OP-VET), implemented as a grant agreement with the Sydani Initiative for International Development. The TEI OP-VET programme is co-financed by the @European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (@BMZ), and implemented by @Enabel, @Expertise France, the @Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) and @GIZ. #GlobalGateway #TEIOPVET #TeamEurope #SkillsDevelopment #TVET #AgriSkills #GIZ #GIZNigeria #YourGatewayToSkillsAndJobs #SUSTAIN
Continue Reading