Technical and vocational skills depletion in Nigeria and the need for policy intervention

Abstract

The study was carried out to assess the impact of erosion of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) on technological capability building in Nigeria by commercial motorcycling transportation mode. The study used primary and secondary data sources. The number of respondents sampled was 500. Structured questionnaires were administered on commercial motorcyclists. This was supplemented with field observations and interviews. A total of 500 questionnaires were administered on the respondents with 72% response rate. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The study showed that the active population was heavily involved in commercial motorcycling which has no technical value addition to the nation’s economy. About 8% of the commercial motorcyclists had at least a University Degree (Masters and Bachelor Degrees), about 54% of them had at least a senior secondary school education, 36% had junior secondary education and below, while about 2% had no formal education. The study also revealed that majority (about 85%) of the commercial motorcyclists were tradesmen or craftsmen before: auto-mechanics (25.88%), carpenters (14.12%), bricklayers (8.24%), painters (7.06%) and panel beaters (5.88%). Of these, more than half had graduated from their chosen trades or crafts, while 15% were civil servants. However, the respondents who are now commercial motorcyclists make at least twice the income they made in their former trade per day, hence the drift. The study concluded that drift from crafts and trade to commercial motorcycling will speedily erode the indigenous technology capacity of Nigeria if there would not be urgent government intervention to reverse the situation. Key words: Training, vocational, technical, education, motorcycling.