The move to entrench trade subjects as compulsory in Nigerian Secondary Schools received a major boost on Tuesday September 16, 2025 as SkillUp Naija paid a courtesy visit to the BRACED Commission in Port Harcourt to explore collaboration on the speedy implementation of the Federal Government’s new skills-based curriculum, especially in the South-South region of Nigeria.
The delegation was received by the Senior Programme Officer of the Commission, Ibim Mietamuno Jaja, who represented the Director-General, Ambassador Joe Keshi. In his message, the DG welcomed SkillUp Naija warmly and expressed optimism about the partnership. Describing the talks as “a natural partnership waiting to happen,” Ambassador Keshi said: “What SkillUp Naija is doing fits into the BRACED agenda. Our focus is regional integration, human capacity building and youth empowerment. Working with them will give our states a clear path to implement the new federal curriculum uniformly.”
The meeting centred on how both parties could align efforts to ensure the new education reform which streamlines elective trade subjects to six practical skills and makes digital technology compulsory is not only adopted on paper but implemented across classrooms in the South-South.
Speaking after the session, Director of SkillUp Naija, Dr. Kenneth Otidi, stressed that the organisation is determined to drive practical execution. “At SkillUp Naija, we are more concerned with implementation. Our mission is to ensure teachers are trained, resources are provided, and students graduate with skills that can translate into jobs and businesses,” he said.
The BRACED Commission, which represents Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta States, has a mandate to promote economic cooperation, standardise educational policies, and strengthen human capacity across the region. According to Dr. Kenneth, this mandate aligns directly with SkillUp Naija’s work in teacher training, resource development and youth entrepreneurship.
Already, SkillUp Naija has trained thousands of teachers in Edo and Rivers state while producing government-approved instructional materials under the SkillUp Naija Series. With BRACED’s regional framework, it is believed the model can be replicated seamlessly across all six South-South states.
Education stakeholders hailed the talks as timely. According to Dr. Chinyere Eboh, an education consultant, “This collaboration is strategic. BRACED provides the policy harmonisation platform while SkillUp Naija brings the technical know-how. Together, they can remove the usual bottlenecks that kill reforms at the implementation stage.”
Both parties are expected to release a communiqué in the coming weeks outlining the details of their collaboration.
