It’s not typically that one feels compelled to reply to publications by Sahara Reporters, a web-based platform whose credibility has, over time, come underneath critical query.As soon as considered a daring voice in investigative journalism, the medium has more and more veered into sensationalism, with experiences on nationwide points continuously subjected to intense scrutiny over accuracy and professionalism. Nevertheless, current publications regarding the Nationwide Board for Technical Schooling (NBTE) and its Government Secretary, Professor Idris Bugaje, necessitate a response.
In what seems to be a sustained marketing campaign, Sahara Reporters has, in current occasions, printed a collection of unverified and one-sided tales geared toward discrediting the management of NBTE.
The primary of such experiences, dated August 14, 2025, alleged fraud and job racketeering inside the company. The story, broadly criticised for missing credible proof, appeared extra like a script executed on behalf of disgruntled parts than a product of accountable journalism. Undeterred by what many have described as a marketing campaign of calumny, Professor Bugaje remained centered on his mandate. Slightly than be distracted, he continued to pursue reforms which have steadily reworked Nigeria’s technical and vocational training panorama. On March 25, Sahara Reporters printed yet one more report titled “Disquiet in Nigerian Company NBTE over Unlawful Tenure Extension of Government Secretary Bugaje Amid Secret Recruitment.” This newest piece questions each the extension and renewal of Professor Bugaje’s tenure, in addition to routine administrative choices inside the company.
For the file, Professor Bugaje, who was first appointed on April 14, 2021, accomplished his preliminary tenure on March 13, 2026. His reappointment, facilitated by the suitable channels underneath the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Schooling, falls squarely inside established administrative procedures. Makes an attempt to solid doubt on the legitimacy of this course of — together with claims that the image of Professor Bugaje receiving his re-appointment letter from the Minister of Schooling, Dr Tunji Alausa, is an “AI-generated” — are usually not solely unfounded however border on the absurd.
Equally deceptive are allegations of “unlawful recruitment.” Public establishments periodically recruit to fulfill operational wants, and NBTE isn’t any exception. Obtainable proof signifies that due course of has been adopted in all of the recruitments carried out by the company. Claims that the company’s high quality assurance features have been outsourced are equally baseless, ignoring the enlargement of NBTE’s zonal workplaces and the redeployment of employees to strengthen oversight nationwide.
Past the controversy lies a extra essential story—one in all reform and measurable progress. Over the previous 5 years, Professor Bugaje has spearheaded a quiet however impactful transformation of Nigeria’s Technical and Vocational Schooling and Coaching (TVET) sector. His imaginative and prescient has been clear: to shift the nation’s training system from a predominantly theoretical mannequin to at least one that prioritises sensible abilities, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Beneath his management, NBTE has modernised curricula throughout polytechnics and technical establishments, integrating digital competencies, entrepreneurship, and rising fields comparable to renewable vitality. The introduction of twin certification, combining tutorial {qualifications} with sensible abilities, has considerably enhanced graduate employability.
One of the formidable proposals of this administration is the advice that as much as 50 p.c of secondary training be dedicated to abilities acquisition. Whereas daring, the proposal displays a forward-thinking strategy to addressing youth unemployment and aligning training with labor market realities.
The strengthening of the Nigerian Expertise Qualification Framework (NSQF) has additionally been a serious milestone. By recognizing prior studying and casual coaching, the framework has opened pathways for tens of millions of Nigerians who purchase abilities exterior formal training techniques.
Equally, the College students Industrial Work Expertise Scheme (SIWES) has been revitalised, with improved monitoring and certification processes making certain that college students achieve significant trade publicity. The introduction of a unified industrial coaching certificates marks a step in direction of standardising office readiness.
Capability constructing has not been neglected. Lots of of lecturers and instructors have undergone coaching in fashionable instructing strategies, equipping them to ship training that meets up to date trade requirements.
Professor Bugaje’s tenure has additionally been characterised by sturdy sustainable funding and institutional reforms advocacy. His name for a Nationwide Expertise Growth Fund underscores the pressing have to put money into vocational coaching, notably inside Nigeria’s huge casual sector.
Maybe most significantly, NBTE underneath his management has strengthened its collaboration with trade stakeholders. By partnerships and the event of Nationwide Occupational Requirements, the company has labored to make sure that coaching programmes are aligned with real-world calls for.
In gentle of those achievements, the try and undermine Professor Bugaje’s management by unsubstantiated experiences by Sahara Reporters raises essential questions on motive and credibility. At a time Nigeria urgently wants transformative management in training, the main target ought to stay on measurable progress moderately than manufactured controversies. The reforms initiated underneath Professor Bugaje signify a essential step towards constructing a talented, self-reliant workforce able to driving nationwide improvement.