Abdulrahman Dambazau, Nigeria’s Ambassador to China, has called for deeper cooperation between China and African countries in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), saying stronger skills development is critical to industrialisation, job creation and sustainable economic growth.
Dambazau made the call while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 First Working Meeting of the UNESCO China-Africa TVET Cooperation Programme and the China-Africa MOOC Platform Quality Development Programme.
According to statement obtianed by BusinessDay, Friday, the meeting brought together stakeholders from China and Africa to examine ways of strengthening technical and vocational education to address skills shortages, improve employability and support industrial development across the continent.
Dambazau said Nigeria’s development priorities, including those under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have placed technical and vocational education at the centre of efforts to build a productive workforce.
He said the country’s expanding economy needs skilled workers capable of supporting critical sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, construction, renewable energy, information and communication technology and the creative industries.
