REGIONAL INEQUALITIES IN ACCESS TO VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR YOUTH ECONOMIC INCLUSION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Equality of access to vocational education in Nigeria is an unspelled out and important but not clearly understood aspect of youth economic exclusion. This paper focuses on the differential geographical access to TVET, and its interaction with poverty, educational disadvantage, labour-market structure and institutional capacity, and its effects on the opportunities for young people to develop marketable skills and be productive citizens. A qualitative research approach was used while only secondary data from official Nigerian statistics, education policy documents, National Board for Technical Education records, evidence from the World Bank and recent empirical studies were utilized. Recurring patterns regarding spatial access, pre-TVET educational disadvantage, transitions from training to work and conditions for inclusive economic participation were identified through content and thematic analysis. The analysis was guided by three propositions: 1) inequitable regional access to vocational education will lead to inequitable opportunities for youth economic inclusion, 2) poor quality and labour-market alignment of TVET will reduce the economic inclusion benefit of the education system, even in countries where TVET is available, and 3) decentralised, responsive and financially accessible TVET systems can help ameliorate regional inequalities. The results suggest that there are reinforcing relationships between institutional availability and educational preparation and economic opportunity. The paper, therefore, calls for a TVET strategy that is place-sensitive, but also emphasizes quality assurance, linkages with industry, flexibility in delivery and financial support targeting specific groups, alongside enhanced transition from training to work and entrepreneurship