Apprenticeship in Niger

Niger has an established system of technical and vocational education and training, known locally as EFTP. Apprenticeship is one of its main ways to develop occupational skills. The formal form, called apprentissage par alternance or apprentissage dual, combines an enterprise or workshop with a training centre. The apprentice learns most practical skills at the workplace and receives structured complementary training at the centre. The documented model commonly uses about 80% workplace learning and 20% centre-based learning. Traditional or informal apprenticeship follows a different arrangement. A family, apprentice and master craftsperson usually agree on the placement directly, often without a uniform entry test or a detailed written contract. Learning takes place mainly through daily practical work in a craft such as tailoring, mechanics, construction or another trade. This form remains highly relevant, especially for young people outside formal schooling, but enforcement of safety rules, social protection, standardized contracts, allowances and completion records is weaker. Formal entry depends on the pathway and institution. Admission to a Centre de Formation Professionnelle et Technique, or CFPT, can require a competition. Centres de Formation aux Métiers, or CFM, and some CQP pathways commonly admit learners after the end of primary school, known as CM2, and often provide about two years of training. Other entry-level qualifications include AQB and CQB. A CQM can be reached through formation initiale professionnelle, known as FIP, or through apprenticeship by alternance. More advanced progression can include the Certificat d'aptitude professionnelle (CAP), the Brevet d'études professionnelles (BEP), the Baccalauréat professionnel (BAC Pro), the Brevet de technicien (BT), the Brevet de qualification professionnelle (BQP) and the Brevet professionnel technique (BPT). A BQP generally requires a CQP, CAP or BEPC plus two years of dual apprenticeship or residential skills training. A BPT generally follows a BQP or BEP and two further years of training. Duration depends on the occupation and arrangement. The apprenticeship framework has no located universal statutory minimum duration, while the 2018 regime places a maximum of three years on apprenticeship. The classical CAP or BEP pathway commonly takes about two to three years, followed by around two to three years for BAC Pro or BT progression. Short FAFPA-supported courses can last approximately one week to three months, but these are demand-led training actions and should not automatically be treated as full apprenticeship. The Ministry of Technical and Vocational Education and its national and regional services oversee the system. FAFPA can finance approved initial, apprenticeship and continuing training activities, equipment and support, often with levy or development-partner funding. ANPE, chambers of métiers, FNAN, CMANI, accredited public and private providers, enterprises, workshops and NGOs also contribute to access, placement, training or employment. Reports for 2026 listed 395 public and 164 private establishments, together with 790 public and 203 private workshops, but availability differs by trade and location. The legal framework includes Law 98-12, the Labour Code under Law 2012-45, Decree 2017-682 and the 2018 decrees on vocational training, including apprenticeship-specific Decree 2018-772. The apprenticeship arrangement should identify the enterprise or master craftsperson, the apprentice and the training centre, and should state their respective duties. The apprentice must follow training and workplace rules. The master craftsperson or enterprise must provide occupational training. The 2018 framework provides for payment to the craftsperson and an apprentice allowance financed through the training levy; a 2021 order sets allowance conditions and amount, but the exact payment and eligibility should be confirmed for the specific cohort. Child-labour and workplace-safety safeguards apply. Formal qualifications are assessed through national examinations for titles such as CQP, CAP and BEP. The CQP is a practical and technical skills qualification and a major instrument for entry into employment. National results reported for 2025 showed pass rates of 93.82% for CQP, 76.46% for CAP and 69.73% for BEP; 10,282 candidates were reported for the 2026 CQP examination. Traditional apprenticeship skills are legally intended to be recognized through AQB, CQM, CQP, BQP, BPT and validation of acquired experience, known as VAE, but practical access to recognition remains uneven. There is no current national fee tariff covering every apprenticeship arrangement. The actual cost may include registration, materials, transport, accommodation and examination charges. Public funding, private fees, FAFPA support and levy-funded places can produce different conditions, so the centre, workshop or responsible authority should confirm the fee, allowance, timetable and certification before enrollment. A historical ILO estimate for 2017 counted about 900,000 craft workers across 206 trades compared with fewer than 30,000 formal technical and vocational students; this is not a current census, but it shows why informal apprenticeship remains central to occupational entry in Niger.