Nigeria, Feb. 23 -- In recent years, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has gained renewed attention in Nigeria's efforts to tackle unemployment, boost productivity, and strengthen economic growth. Inasmuch as a skilled workforce is essential for national development, one critical reality remains largely unresolved: the persistent underrepresentation of women in technical education and skilled trades such as electrical installation, construction trades, automotive technology, welding, and industrial mechanics. Where women are present in TVET, they are often concentrated in traditionally "feminine" skills areas like fashion design, catering, and cosmetology.

According to UNESCO, only 35 percent of TVET students in Nige...