The House of Representatives’ decision to summon the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, over the Federal Government’s technical and vocational training programmes should not be dismissed as another routine confrontation between lawmakers and a cabinet minister.
The House Committee on Polytechnics and Higher Technical Education has asked the minister to appear before Parliament in September 2026 and provide information concerning the government’s technical and vocational training programmes.
Lawmakers also expressed frustration that previous invitations had allegedly not been honoured.
The National Assembly has oversight responsibilities that provide an important mechanism for examining how ministries, departments and agencies implement government programmes and spend public resources.
When lawmakers request information about a major education initiative, therefore, the government should ordinarily be able to explain what has been implemented, how much has been spent and what results have been achieved.
The House committee’s declaration that no individual is above parliament reflects its frustration with what members described as repeated failures to honour invitations. But legislative oversight is most useful when it goes beyond summoning officials.
The September Hearing Scorecard
The most useful outcome would be a clear national assessment of the Federal Government’s technical and vocational training initiatives. Instead of ending with political exchanges between lawmakers and the minister, Parliament should establish a scorecard showing what the programmes have actually achieved.
For each major initiative, Nigerians should be able to see its budget, target population, enrolment, completion rate, qualifications provided, employment outcomes and geographical distribution.
Where programmes are failing, the reasons should be identified. Where they are successful, government should understand whether they can be expanded.
That would turn parliamentary oversight into something considerably more valuable than another televised summons.
Nigeria has a young population seeking economic opportunities while businesses simultaneously require workers with practical and increasingly sophisticated technical skills. Those two realities should complement one another.
Effective vocational education can connect them.
But that will only happen if government programmes are designed around actual economic demand, instructors possess current knowledge, equipment reflects modern industry, employers participate in training and outcomes are measured beyond the number of people who receive certificates.
