The federal government has commended Germany for supporting Nigeria’s efforts to curb irregular migration through skills acquisition and vocational training aimed at empowering youths with employable skills and promoting structured labour mobility.

Labour minister Muhammad Dingyadi gave the commendation on Thursday in Abuja while receiving Matthias Leder, chief executive officer of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry Giessen-Friedberg.

Mr Dingyadi said the partnership would promote legal labour migration, strengthen vocational education, and create meaningful employment opportunities for Nigerian youths seeking to enhance their skills and contribute to national development.

“This initiative aligns with our commitment to equip young people with practical, employable skills. It’s a win-win for Nigeria and Germany, reducing irregular migration among job-seeking youths,” the minister said.

He reiterated the government’s determination to strengthen technical and vocational education as a sustainable pathway toward productive employment, entrepreneurship, and lawful migration channels beneficial to both countries.

Mr Dingyadi said Nigeria was ready to deepen collaboration with the German Chambers of Commerce to promote structured migration through training exchanges and professional development initiatives between the two nations.

He highlighted Germany’s dual vocational training model, which combines classroom instruction with hands-on experience, as a system Nigeria hopes to adopt to enhance its workforce development framework.

The minister commended the selection of 18 young Nigerians for the pilot phase of the dual vocational training programme in Germany, describing it as a milestone for legal migration.

“We will celebrate these 18 trainees in Lagos on November 12. They represent a new chapter in safe, structured migration and youth empowerment,” Mr Dingyadi said.

Earlier, Mr Leder said the initiative was part of Germany’s plan to promote legal migration through technical training and bilateral cooperation on workforce development.

He explained that 300 Nigerian youths were shortlisted for the programme, with only 18 selected after completing a rigorous two-stage competition that involved aptitude tests and interviews.

“All participants passed the first level of German language proficiency (A1) and will continue training to the B2 level before proceeding to Germany,” Mr Leder announced during the meeting.

He added that participants would earn while learning under the dual system, combining technical education with on-the-job training to gain both income and valuable career experience.

Mr Leder expressed confidence that the partnership would deepen Nigeria–Germany relations and expand future opportunities for young Nigerians pursuing legal, skills-based migration to Europe.

(NAN)