250,000 Nigerians Undergo Skills Training Under FG’s TVET Scheme-Alausa
Nearly 250,000 Nigerians are undergoing 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, has said.
Alausa also disclosed that the programme’s latest application portal recorded nearly 1.4 million applications within two weeks, reflecting growing interest in technical and vocational education as a pathway to employment, entrepreneurship and economic advancement.
The minister made this known during an engagement with the House of Representatives Committee on Polytechnic and Higher Technical Education, chaired by Fuad Kayode Laguda, where he presented updates on the programme’s implementation, funding, enrolment, achievements and accountability measures.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by Ikharo Attah, the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the minister, the latest application figures surpassed the 1.3 million applications recorded during the first cohort within 10 days.
Alausa commended President Bola Tinubu for his support for 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 said the Federal Government was rebuilding the TVET ecosystem to equip young Nigerians with practical, industry-relevant skills to secure employment, establish businesses and compete in an increasingly skills-driven global economy.
On the admission process, the minister said the programme was designed to be transparent, accessible and merit-based, with eligible applicants required to apply through a centralised online portal.
He explained that applicants were required to provide relevant information, including their National Identification Number and biometric details, to facilitate verification.
According to him, the allocation of available training opportunities also takes geographical representation across states and local government areas into account, given the limited capacity of the programme relative to the number of applicants.
Alausa disclosed that each trainee received a monthly stipend of N30,000, while accredited training centres received N50,000 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.
The minister explained that initial payment delays resulted from the introduction of the verification system, as the ministry prioritised verifiable attendance records over manual documentation.
He, however, said the issue had been resolved, adding that payments to trainees and training centres were up to date as of September.
On the accreditation of training centres, Alausa said the National Board for Technical Education was responsible for verifying the capacity of institutions seeking approval.
He added that only centres meeting the prescribed requirements were accredited to safeguard training standards, ensure quality delivery and expand access through capable private-sector providers.
The minister said the programme was designed to translate skills acquisition into tangible economic opportunities, with beneficiaries expected to receive starter packs and relevant equipment upon completing their training.
He cited tailoring and electrical installation as examples of trades in which graduates would receive tools to begin providing services within their communities.
According to him, the initiative would enable beneficiaries to apply their skills, establish businesses, earn a livelihood and contribute to local economic development.
Beyond conventional vocational trades, Alausa disclosed that the Federal Government was supporting a Digital Technology Academy currently training 36,000 Nigerians in areas such as 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.
The initiative, he explained, was aimed at equipping young Nigerians with globally relevant digital competencies to access opportunities in the digital economy and provide services to clients within and outside the country.
Alausa added that the ministry was improving training infrastructure, instructor capacity and access to modern equipment, while introducing a TVET job portal to connect graduates with prospective employers.
He also said 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.
The policy, he noted, was intended to reduce financial barriers and widen access to technical and vocational education.
Providing a breakdown of enrolment across some states, the minister said Bauchi had 4,888 trainees across 50 accredited centres, including 520 in Katagum.
Akwa Ibom had 5,885 trainees across 57 accredited centres, while Kogi recorded 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, and strengthen instructors’ capacity through specialised training.
He disclosed that some lecturers were participating in a train-the-trainer programme in Lagos with experts from the Singapore Institute of Technical Education to improve instructional capacity and the quality of technical training.
Alausa acknowledged the need for more regular engagement with members of the National Assembly, saying sustained communication would help lawmakers understand the programme’s implementation and communicate its benefits to their constituents.
He assured the committee that the ministry would provide detailed statistics on enrolment, accredited training centres and ongoing training across states and local government areas.
He also encouraged lawmakers to visit accredited centres in their constituencies to assess implementation and interact directly with trainees and training providers.
The minister stressed that the TVET programme was intended to serve as a sustainable human capital development strategy rather than a temporary social intervention, equipping beneficiaries with practical skills and resources to pursue employment and entrepreneurship.
In his remarks, the committee chairman, Laguda, described the engagement as fruitful and purposeful, noting that it provided an opportunity for constructive discussions on developments in the education sector and progress in technical and vocational education.
He 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.
Laguda expressed optimism that continued engagement and cooperation would enable the committee to make meaningful progress within the remaining period of the 10th National Assembly.
Alausa urged lawmakers to support the programme by raising public awareness, engaging their constituents and visiting accredited training centres to monitor implementation.
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 and globally competitive skills to promote employment, entrepreneurship and national development.
