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Paper short abstract

The study examines how TVET students in Nigeria imagine futures beyond employability, emphasizing sustainability and innovation. A cross-sectional survey and interviews will sample 600 of 25,750 students. Statistical and thematic analyses will reposition TVET as transformative.

Paper long abstract

The lack of imagination has been clearly pre-destined to instill in the minds of students of TVET in Nigerian universities how they perceive their future and potential beyond employability. The study draws on existing literature on African futures, decolonized education, entrepreneurship, and indigenous apprenticeships. It examines how TVET students understand alternative socio-technical possibilities grounded in innovation, sustainability, and social justice. Qualitative interviews will be complemented by a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. The population comprises approximately 25,750 TVET students from publicly owned universities in Nigeria. A sample of 600 students will be selected using a multistage stratified random sampling technique across six geopolitical zones and programme specializations, with 100 students from each zone and specialization. Data will be collected through a structured questionnaire and semi-structured interviews focusing on students’ imaginaries of the future, institutional support, and exposure to innovative and indigenous learning models. The study is guided by perspectives from Science and Technology Studies concerning alternative futures and participatory imagination. Quantitative data will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative responses will be examined through thematic analysis. Ethical considerations will include institutional ethical clearance, voluntary participation, anonymity, informed consent, and confidentiality of responses. The research seeks to address empirical gaps in reimagining TVET as a transformative space that enables Nigerian students to visualize and collaboratively produce plural, contextually relevant futures by exploring what futures are imagined and how educational structures shape them.