Abuja:The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has announced plans to develop National Occupational Standards (NOS) for chip design training across Nigeria.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, revealed this initiative during the graduation ceremony of 22 students trained in chip design by ChipLab. The standards aim to enable skills training centers nationwide to introduce chip design programs and ensure certification and quality assurance.
Prof. Bugaje emphasized that the current curriculum used by the industry is not accessible to NBTE. However, by developing NOS, NBTE aims to facilitate the introduction of chip design courses across Nigeria. This initiative is expected to position the country as a hub for chip design and provide young Nigerians with skills in the semiconductor industry.
The six-month training program, conducted by ChipLab, marked its second cohort, following the initial training in Lagos. NBTE has committed to supporting the program by providing accommodation for future cohorts through a hostel currently under construction.
The next phase of the initiative involves arranging internships for the graduates with chip-design companies both within Nigeria and internationally. Prof. Bugaje encouraged graduates to consider opportunities abroad to gain experience in advanced technology sectors.
Yen Choi, a Director at ChipLab, described the graduates as some of the brightest students, having been selected through a rigorous process. The training equipped them with skills in very-large-scale integration, digital design, and other specialized areas necessary for the growing demand in chip production driven by artificial intelligence and digital devices.
Graduate Fatima Buhari shared her positive experience of the program and expressed her intentions to seek international opportunities and contribute to Nigeria’s technology sector.