Vocational Education for Displaced Persons in Nigeria: A Critical Examination of Policy Frameworks and Programme Outcomes

This study critically examined vocational education policy frameworks and programme outcomes for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria, with empirical investigation across Borno, Adamawa, and Plateau States. Nigeria hosts one of Africa's largest IDP populations, and vocational education has been widely promoted by government and humanitarian actors as a livelihood recovery and social reintegration tool, yet critical evidence on programme design adequacy and outcome effectiveness is scarce. The study employed a critical policy analysis and mixed-methods evaluation design, analyzing policy documents from 2015 to 2024 alongside primary data from 400 IDP vocational programme participants, 50 programme managers, and 30 government and NGO policymakers. Critical policy analysis frameworks and quasi-experimental skills outcome comparisons were employed. Findings revealed fundamental tensions between humanitarian short-termism in programme design and the longer investment horizons required for genuine skills development and sustainable livelihoods. Programme outcomes were modest, with only 31 percent of participants achieving economically productive skills application six months post-training, due to the absence of market linkage, post-training capital support, and psychosocial integration services. The study proposes a Comprehensive Displaced Persons Vocational Education Framework (CDPVEF) integrating trauma-responsive pedagogy, sustainable livelihood planning, and multi-agency coordination. This study makes original contributions to humanitarian TVET policy scholarship and displaced persons education research in Africa. Keywords: displaced persons, vocational education, Nigeria, humanitarian TVET, policy evaluation.