The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Government’s commitment to strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), disclosing that nearly 250,000 Nigerians are undergoing skills training across more than 1,200 accredited training centres nationwide.
Dr. Alausa made this known during an engagement with the House of Representatives Committee on Polytechnic and Higher Technical Education, chaired by Fuad Kayode Laguda.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the Minister to present updates on the programme’s implementation, achievements, funding, enrolment and accountability mechanisms.
In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, the Minister disclosed that the latest TVET application portal recorded nearly 1.4 million applications within two weeks, surpassing the 1.3 million applications received during the first cohort.
He said the figures reflected growing public interest in technical and vocational education as a pathway to employment, entrepreneurship and economic advancement.
Dr. Alausa commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support to the education sector, noting that the administration had renewed national attention to technical and vocational education as a strategic investment in human capital development and economic growth.
He explained that the Federal Government was rebuilding the TVET ecosystem to equip young Nigerians with practical, industry-relevant skills that would enable them to secure employment, establish businesses and compete in an increasingly skills-driven global economy.
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Admission Process
Addressing concerns about access to training opportunities, the Minister said the admission process was designed to be transparent, accessible and merit-based, with eligible applicants required to apply through a centralised online portal.
He explained that applicants provide relevant information, including their National Identification Number (NIN) and biometric details, to facilitate verification.
He added that the allocation of available training opportunities took geographical representation across states and local government areas into account, given the programme’s limited capacity relative to the number of applicants.
Funding
On funding, Dr. Alausa stated 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 that public funds were tied to actual participation in the programme.
According to him, initial payment delays arose during the implementation of the system, as the Ministry prioritised verifiable attendance records over manual documentation.
He confirmed that the issue had been resolved and that payments to trainees and training centres were up to date as of September.
The Minister further explained that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) was responsible for verifying the capacity of centres seeking accreditation.
He said only centres that met the prescribed requirements were approved, adding that the process was designed to safeguard training standards, ensure quality delivery and expand access through capable private-sector providers.
To help beneficiaries apply their skills after training, Dr. Alausa cited tailoring and electrical installation as examples of trades in which graduates would receive the tools needed to begin providing services within their communities.
He explained that the initiative would help beneficiaries establish businesses, earn a livelihood and contribute to local economic development.
Beyond conventional vocational trades, the Minister disclosed that the Federal Government was supporting a Digital Technology Academy currently training 36,000 Nigerians in fields including software development, cybersecurity, natural language processing, information technology automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning and quantum computing.
He said participants had access to international learning platforms and professional certification opportunities associated with Coursera, Google and IBM.
According to him, the initiative was intended to equip young Nigerians with globally relevant digital competencies, enabling them to access opportunities in the digital economy and provide services to clients in Nigeria and abroad.
Dr. Alausa also stated that education in federal technical colleges, as well as in one designated state technical college in each state, was free, with the Federal Government bearing the associated training costs.
He said the policy was designed to reduce financial barriers and widen access to technical and vocational education.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the House Committee on Polytechnic and Higher Technical Education, Fuad Kayode Laguda, described the engagement as fruitful and purposeful, saying it 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 strengthening collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, deepening legislative understanding of the programme and sustaining effective oversight to improve performance in the sector.
He expressed optimism that continued engagement and cooperation would enable the Committee to make meaningful progress within the remaining period of the 10th National Assembly.
