The Federal Ministry of Education has commenced the full enforcement of biometric attendance verification across all centres participating in the Federal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Programme, as part of renewed efforts to enhance transparency, accountability, and effective service delivery.
The enforcement, which took effect from 1 February 2026, follows a circular issued in December 2025 directing all TVET Training Centres to procure and deploy biometric attendance systems for real-time monitoring. The Ministry has stated unequivocally that biometric verification is now the only approved method for validating attendance under the TVET Programme.
Accordingly, all payments to Training Centres, as well as monthly stipends to trainees, will henceforth be processed strictly on the basis of verified biometric attendance records. Any Training Centre that fails to comply with this requirement will be disqualified from receiving payments, while trainees at such centres will forfeit their monthly stipends.
Training Centres were earlier informed that persistent non-compliance would attract sanctions, including removal from the programme, with affected trainees redeployed to centres that are fully compliant.
The Ministry reiterates that adherence to biometric attendance verification is mandatory and non-negotiable, noting that the measure is critical to safeguarding public funds and ensuring that programme benefits reach their intended beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government continues to welcome new Training Centres interested in participating in the TVET Programme. Prospective centres are required to obtain accreditation from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). Applications can be completed via the NBTE TVET portal at:
https://www.digitalnbte.nbte.gov.ng/TVET/TVETApplication2
Students enrolled in the TVET Programme are also advised to confirm that their Training Centres have fully complied with the biometric verification requirement to avoid any disruption to their monthly stipends. Complaints and requests for assistance may be submitted through the official TVET support platform available on the portal.
The Federal Ministry of Education remains committed to strengthening the integrity of the TVET Programme and ensuring that public resources are deployed transparently, responsibly, and efficiently to empower Nigerian youth and drive national development.
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