Nearly 250,000 Nigerians are undergoing technical and vocational skills training at more than 1,200 accredited centres nationwide under the Federal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during an engagement with the House of Representatives Committee on Polytechnic and Higher Technical Education, chaired by Fuad Kayode Laguda.
The meeting focused on the programme’s implementation, enrolment, funding, accountability measures and efforts to equip young Nigerians with practical skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
Alausa also revealed that the latest TVET application portal received nearly 1.4 million applications within two weeks, exceeding the 1.3 million applications recorded during the first cohort within ten days.
He said the figures reflected growing interest in technical and vocational education as a pathway to employment, business ownership and economic advancement.
The minister commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting technical and vocational education, describing the programme as a strategic investment in human capital development and national economic growth.
Trainees receive ₦30,000 monthly stipends
Alausa explained that each trainee receives a monthly stipend of ₦30,000, while accredited training centres receive ₦50,000 per student monthly to support training delivery.
He said biometric attendance verification had been introduced to strengthen accountability and ensure payments were linked to actual participation.
According to the minister, initial payment delays occurred during the implementation of the biometric system, as the Ministry prioritised verifiable attendance records over manual documentation. He added that the issue had been resolved and payments to trainees and training centres were up to date as of September 2026.
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is responsible for verifying the capacity of training centres seeking accreditation. Alausa said only centres that met the prescribed requirements were approved to participate in the programme.
He added that admissions were conducted through a centralised online portal, with applicants providing their National Identification Numbers and biometric details for verification. The allocation process also considered geographical representation across states and local government areas.
Graduates to receive starter packs
The minister said the programme was designed to help beneficiaries turn their newly acquired skills into sustainable livelihoods through employment and entrepreneurship.
Successful trainees are expected to receive starter packs and relevant equipment upon completing their training.
For instance, graduates trained in tailoring and electrical installation would receive tools to help them begin providing services within their communities.
Alausa said the initiative would enable beneficiaries to establish businesses, earn incomes and contribute to local economic development.
He also disclosed that the Federal Government was supporting improvements in training infrastructure, modern equipment and instructor capacity, alongside the introduction of a TVET job portal to connect graduates with prospective employers.
Digital academy trains 36,000 Nigerians
Beyond conventional vocational trades, the minister disclosed that the Federal Government was supporting a Digital Technology Academy currently training 36,000 Nigerians.
The programme covers software development, cybersecurity, natural language processing, information technology automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning and quantum computing.
According to Alausa, participants have access to international learning platforms and professional certification opportunities associated with Coursera, Google and IBM.
He said the initiative was intended to equip young Nigerians with globally relevant digital skills to access opportunities in the digital economy and provide services to clients within and outside the country.
The minister further stated that education in federal technical colleges and one designated state technical college in each state was free, with the Federal Government bearing the associated training costs.
States record thousands of trainees
Alausa provided enrolment figures from several states to illustrate the programme’s geographical reach.
Bauchi State had 4,888 trainees across 50 accredited centres, including 520 in Katagum. Akwa Ibom recorded 5,885 trainees across 57 centres, while Kogi had 5,144 trainees across 42 centres.
In Katsina State, approximately 1,800 trainees were undergoing training in eight newly established technical centres adopted into the programme.
The minister also highlighted efforts to rehabilitate and develop technical education infrastructure, including facilities in the Federal Capital Territory.
He said some lecturers were participating in a train-the-trainer programme in Lagos with experts from the Singapore Institute of Technical Education to strengthen instructional capacity and improve training quality.
House committee pledges continued collaboration
The Chairman of the House Committee on Polytechnic and Higher Technical Education, Fuad Kayode Laguda, described the engagement as fruitful and purposeful.
He said the meeting provided an opportunity for constructive discussions on developments in the education sector and progress in technical and vocational education.
Laguda reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Education, improving legislative understanding of the programme and sustaining effective oversight.
Alausa acknowledged the need for more regular engagement with lawmakers and promised to provide detailed statistics on enrolment, accredited centres and training activities across states and local government areas.
He also encouraged lawmakers to visit accredited centres in their constituencies to assess implementation and interact with trainees and training providers.
The minister maintained that the TVET programme was a long-term human capital development strategy rather than a temporary social intervention.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding access to quality technical and vocational education, strengthening accountability and equipping Nigerian youths with practical, industry-relevant skills to support employment, entrepreneurship and national development.
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