Tinubu to Unveil New Industrial Manpower Policy

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced on Tuesday the initiative to establish Nigeria’s maiden National Industrial Manpower Development Policy, emphasising that the country’s most valuable asset is its people rather than its natural resources.

Tinubu made this announcement during the opening of the National Industrial Manpower Summit 2025 in Abuja, in a release by Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President).

He highlighted the pressing need to align educational outcomes with industry demands to realise Nigeria’s economic potential.

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President stressed that immediate investment in citizens is essential to avoid severe repercussions.

“For a nation with a median age of about seventeen, Nigeria is an incredibly young country. This youthfulness is a gift, but it is also a responsibility. We must make our young people not just a demographic statistic but a central component of our policy-making process,” President Tinubu said.

He acknowledged that the disruptive technologies of today necessitate a workforce that continuously adapts, warning that Nigeria could worsen the skills gap if it does not adequately prepare for the needs of the emerging technological landscape.

“Our mission is to align the education and training of our young people, and indeed the larger workforce, with the needs of industry. We must reverse the mismatch between what our institutions produce and what our economy requires. This cannot be realised unless we foster robust collaboration between the public and private sectors to prepare young Nigerians for the demands of today’s job market,” he noted.

He urged the creation of an industrial skills database, the development of sector-specific manpower plans, and the enhancement of the status of vocational and industrial training, affirming that welders, machinists, technicians, software engineers, and factory operators should be “valued with the dignity, respect, and opportunities they merit.”