The House of Representatives Committee on Polytechnic and Higher Technical Education has given the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, a final opportunity to appear before it over the implementation of the Federal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme.
The committee also directed the Federal Ministry of Education to submit all documents and information relating to the implementation of the programme on or before August 18, 2026.
The resolutions were reached on Thursday during an investigative hearing at the National Assembly, following the minister’s repeated failure to honour invitations from the committee or send a representative.
The committee Chairman, Kayode Laguda, said the lawmakers had written several letters to the ministry requesting information on the government’s TVET programme, beginning with a correspondence dated January 30, 2025.
He said the latest invitation, dated July 30, 2026, also requested detailed information on the programme and invited the ministry to appear before the committee.
“We have written several correspondences starting from January 30, 2025, seeking information on the activities of the Technical Vocational Education Training being implemented by the government. The last invitation was on July 30, but the minister is not here, and no representative was sent to the committee,” Laguda said.
The committee chairman described the minister’s absence as unexpected, noting that the lawmakers had previously maintained a cordial relationship with the Ministry of Education.
Laguda further reminded the ministry that Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, empower the National Assembly to investigate the activities of Ministries, Departments and Agencies as part of its legislative and oversight responsibilities.
The minister’s continued absence triggered criticism from members of the committee, with some lawmakers calling for sanctions.
A member of the committee, Rabiu Yusuf, accused Alausa of showing “a high level of disrespect” to the National Assembly and moved a motion for a vote of no confidence against the minister.
“This communication was neither acknowledged nor responded to.
Information requested by the committee was not provided. We can rightly assume that there is a high level of disrespect to the institution of the legislative body by the executive, particularly the Minister of Education,” Yusuf said.
He added, “I think it is high time for us to pass a vote of no confidence on the minister.”
Another member, Bayo Adepoju, described the minister’s repeated failure to appear before the committee as “a direct affront to parliament.”
“This is rude, unacceptable and something that should not happen in a democracy. We are constitutionally empowered to conduct oversight on Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Nobody is above parliament,” Adepoju said.
He added that after six letters to the ministry, the minister had still failed to appear, stressing that Nigerians deserved to know how the TVET programme was being implemented.
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However, some lawmakers called for restraint, urging the committee to give the minister one final opportunity to comply before taking punitive measures.
Paul Kalejaiye appealed to his colleagues to issue a fresh ultimatum to the minister and fix another date for his appearance before considering a vote of no confidence.
“This is the first time we are making a public pronouncement on him. We should give the honourable minister another chance by issuing him an ultimatum and fixing a date to appear before this committee before we pass a vote of no confidence,” Kalejaiye said.
Adepoju backed the proposal, saying that although the minister’s conduct was unacceptable, the committee should formally register its displeasure while allowing the ministry one final opportunity to comply.
Laguda also supported the decision, saying his previous engagements with Alausa did not suggest that the minister would deliberately disregard the committee.
“I’ve had engagements with the minister in the past. I don’t see him as someone who would deliberately do this. Maybe there are reasons for it, but whatever is responsible, this definitely should not happen again,” he said.
Following the deliberations, the committee directed the Ministry of Education to submit comprehensive records on the implementation of the TVET programme from its inception to date.
The documents and information are to be submitted to the committee’s secretariat by August 18, 2026.
The committee subsequently adjourned the investigative hearing until September 17, 2026, when Alausa is expected to personally appear before the lawmakers.
“We are using this platform to request from the ministry to supply the committee with the necessary information that has been requested from inception to date. The submission of this information should be made available to the secretariat by the 18th of August.
“We are adjourning this meeting with the minister and the Ministry of Education to September 17, and we hope that the minister will be present on the new date given,” Laguda said.
The TVET programme is one of the Federal Government’s initiatives aimed at expanding technical and vocational education, equipping young Nigerians with industry-relevant skills and addressing unemployment and the country’s skills gap.
