President Bola Tinubu has unveiled plans for Nigeria’s first National Industrial Manpower Development Policy to align education and workforce training with industry needs.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the opening of the National Industrial Manpower Summit (NIMS) 2025 in Abuja, Tinubu described Nigeria’s young population as both an asset and a responsibility. “We must make our young people not just a demographic statistic but a central component of our policy-making process,” he said.
The president called for an industrial skills database, sector-specific manpower roadmaps, and greater emphasis on vocational training. He warned that without a skilled, adaptable workforce, Nigeria risks falling behind in an era of disruptive technologies.
Tinubu pledged to adopt and implement viable summit proposals with urgency, aiming to reverse the mismatch between educational output and economic demand.
Minister of industry trade and investment, Jumoke Oduwole, said manpower development was key to attracting and retaining domestic investment for industrialisation, while Labour minister Maigari Dingyadi , urged a unified, collaborative approach to skills planning.
Presidential aide Adamson Oluwatoyin described manpower development as the bridge between Nigeria’s potential and its industrial productivity.
