From January 2025, vocational skills such as plumbing, hairstyling, and solar installation, among others, will become a compulsory part of Nigeria’s educational curriculum for primary schools.
Pupils will be required to acquire at least two vocational skills, reflecting the government’s efforts to better prepare young learners for practical careers across various sectors.
Speaking during a stakeholder meeting in Abuja on Monday, Dr. Margret Lawani, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), unveiled details of the curriculum, which falls under the vocational and entrepreneurship studies framework.
The new subjects, she said, aim to equip pupils with knowledge and hands-on experience in diverse trades.
“These vocational and entrepreneurship studies, or the skills, cover different sectors comprising various trades. For instance, in the building and construction industry, we have plumbing, tiling, flooring, and POP installation,” Lawani explained.
For the hospitality and leisure sector, pupils will be introduced to event decoration and management. She further elaborated, “We also have bakery and confectionery, hairstyling, makeup, and interior design.”
In the services sector, essential technical skills such as GSM repairs, satellite or TV antenna installations, and CCTV and intercom maintenance will be taught. “In the services sector, we have GSM repairs, satellite or TV antenna installations, CCTV, intercom installation, and maintenance,” she noted.
Additionally, the program will include solar photovoltaic installation and garment-making skills. “Solar installation and garment making are among the essential skills pupils will learn,” Lawani added.
Agriculture is another key sector to be introduced. “This sector covers crop production, beekeeping, horticulture, sheep and goat farming, as well as poultry and rabbit farming. Altogether, we have about 15 different trades or skills newly introduced for basic education,” she stated.
In addition to vocational skills, the curriculum will include digital literacy as a core subject, exposing pupils to basic IT, robotics, and other tech-related fields. “We are introducing basic digital literacy, including IT, robotics, and more,” Lawani confirmed, highlighting the importance of preparing students for the modern digital world.
The initiative is expected to revolutionize primary education in Nigeria, blending traditional learning with practical, hands-on skills aimed at fostering entrepreneurial and technical abilities from a young age.
