The Federal Government has announced a monthly stipend of N45,000 for students enrolled in technical colleges across the country.
This initiative formed part of a broader strategy to reposition the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector and make it a more attractive alternative to traditional university education.
The Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
According to him, the new policy aims to fast-track the development of the TVET sector and expand enrollment at the sub-tertiary level.
Bugaje explained that the government would not only provide the monthly stipend but also cover teaching fees, pay industry-based supervisors, and finance the cost of skill certification.
He said, “With this, young people will find it more attractive to come to a technical college, acquire skills qualification, get jobs locally and even beyond the borders of Nigeria.”
He added that the whole sector was being repositioned, and the initiative would reverse the trend of declining enrollment in technical colleges.
The government of President Tinubu has allocated N120 billion grant to support students under the new TVET initiative.
The grant would be disbursed through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), signaling a major shift in government strategy to encourage skills-based education.
Bugaje said, “The N45,000 is not as a loan, but a grant. Students who enjoy this are not going to pay back. We want to encourage more people to enroll in technical education.”
To sustain and expand the programme, Bugaje said the Minister of Education was championing a legislative Bill to establish a National Skills Fund under a new Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
The bill is expected to be presented to the National Assembly in the near future, and the National Skills Fund would continue to fund TVET institutions, including those in the private sector.
