Training Transfer Gap Costs Nigerian Companies Millions
Workplace experts have issued a strong call for effective training transfer to drive significant performance improvements across Nigeria's public and private sectors. This urgent appeal dominated discussions at the 2025 International Training Transfer Effectiveness Conference (iTTEC) held in Lagos on November 22, 2025.
The conference, convened by Sandra Ihenacho, brought together professionals to address a critical challenge facing Nigerian organizations: despite heavy investments in staff training, many companies see little measurable improvement in workplace performance.
The Multi-Million Naira Training Dilemma
Ihenacho revealed that numerous Nigerian companies spend millions of naira annually on training programs without securing proportional returns on their investment. "This conference is dedicated to addressing training transfer effectiveness and helping businesses get returns on their investment," she stated.
"Workers attend training, but at the end, their performances do not improve. Training does not fail because people don't want to learn but because there is no system to ensure they apply what they have learnt," Ihenacho emphasized during her address.
She stressed that training must lead to genuine transformation and accountability, noting that leadership plays a crucial role in setting the tone for effective learning implementation.
From Attendance to Application: A Paradigm Shift
Swiss expert Melanie Martinelli delivered a compelling presentation arguing that the true measure of training success lies in how effectively trainees apply acquired knowledge and skills. She proposed a radical shift from traditional certification methods.
"Training transfer is the extent to which trainees effectively use the knowledge and skills gained," Martinelli explained. "There should be a clear transfer goal to make knowledge transfer happen. With training you can impact knowledge but a lack of transfer will make training useless."
Martinelli advocated for awarding "certificates of application" rather than mere certificates of attendance, emphasizing that without practical knowledge transfer, training serves no meaningful purpose.
Strategic Training for Organizational Needs
Conference speakers unanimously agreed that organizations must move beyond treating training as a welfare benefit and instead approach it as a solution-driven intervention. Ihenacho urged companies to only sponsor training programs that address specific organizational needs rather than sending staff on courses offering no strategic value.
Chairperson Nkechinyere Ojiego echoed this sentiment, noting that "learning should translate to work experience" and should focus on transformation rather than box-ticking exercises.
The conference also featured insights from business leaders emphasizing:
- Accountability frameworks for training outcomes
- Data-driven planning for training programs
- Post-training performance monitoring systems
Dr. Aishatu Kabir, Special Assistant to the President on Delivery and Coordination, highlighted that "training is not an outcome but an input" whose effectiveness depends on the supporting systems and strategies.
Adejoke Alli, General Manager of Human Resources and Administration at Fidson Healthcare Plc, called for systematic follow-up assessments to determine whether trainees show improvement in product knowledge, confidence, and job application skills.
The consensus among experts is clear: Nigerian organizations must prioritize training transfer effectiveness to transform their substantial training investments into tangible workplace performance improvements and sustainable growth.
