Nearly 250,000 Nigerians are undergoing skills training across more than 1,200 accredited centres nationwide under the Federal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET, programme.
Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, expressed the government’s commitment to advancing TVET.
Aluasa disclosed this in Abuja during an engagement with the House of Representatives Committee on Polytechnic and Higher Technical Education, chaired by Fuad Kayode Laguda, where he briefed lawmakers on the programme’s implementation, funding, enrolment and accountability measures.
According to the minister, the latest application portal recorded nearly 1.4 million applications within two weeks, exceeding the 1.3 million applications received during the first cohort in 10 days.
The development, he said, reflected growing interest in technical and vocational education as a pathway to employment, entrepreneurship and economic advancement.
Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the minister, Ikharo Attah, in a statement on Wednesday, said the Federal Government was strengthening the TVET ecosystem to equip young Nigerians with practical, industry-relevant skills and expand opportunities for self-reliance.
Alausa disclosed that each trainee receives a monthly stipend of N30,000, while accredited training centres receive N50,000 per student monthly to support training delivery.
He said biometric attendance verification had been introduced to ensure accountability and that public funds were tied to actual participation.
The minister explained that initial payment delays arose from the implementation of the verification system, as the ministry prioritised confirmed attendance records over manual documentation.
He added that the issue had been resolved, with payments to trainees and training centres up to date as of September.
Alausa further said beneficiaries would receive starter packs and relevant equipment upon completing their training to enable them to apply their skills and establish businesses.
He cited tailoring and electrical installation as examples of trades in which graduates would receive tools to begin providing services within their communities.
Beyond conventional vocational trades, the minister disclosed that the Federal Government was supporting a Digital Technology Academy currently training 36,000 Nigerians in areas including software development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning and information technology automation.
He said participants had access to international learning platforms and professional certification opportunities associated with Coursera, Google and IBM, equipping them with digital skills to compete for opportunities locally and internationally.
The ministry, he added, was also developing a TVET job portal to connect graduates with prospective employers and strengthen the link between skills acquisition and employment.
Alausa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding access to quality technical and vocational education, describing the programme as a sustainable human capital development strategy rather than a temporary social intervention.
He urged lawmakers to support public awareness and visit accredited training centres in their constituencies to assess implementation and engage directly with trainees and providers.
