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.