In a bid to fast-track the development of the Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector and expand enrollment at the sub-tertiary level, the Federal Government of Nigeria says it will start paying N45,000 monthly stipend to technical college students across the country.
The government also plans to cover teaching fees and pay industry-based supervisors (known as “master class” instructors) where technical college students undertake industrial attachments and finance the cost of skill certification.
The Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Idris Bugaje, told journalists in Abuja on Wednesday that the N45,000 was not a loan but a grant, meaning that the beneficiaries are not expected to pay back the money.
“With this, young people will find it more attractive to come to a technical college, acquire skills qualifications, get jobs locally and even beyond the borders of Nigeria,” Bugaje said.
“This way, the whole sector is being repositioned. We are at the moment facing what you may call either a resurrection or a rebirth of TVET.
“During colonial days and the early part of our independence, TVET had received attention. But, since the 1980s, we have been going down the drain.
“That is why the number of technical colleges has dropped to 129 at the moment, compared to 15,000 senior secondary schools in Nigeria,” he said.
The NBTE Executive Secretary informed that President Bola Tinubu had allocated a grant of N120 billion to support students under the new TVET initiative, adding that the grant would be disbursed through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund).
“The N45,000 is not a loan, but a grant. Students who enjoy this are not going to pay back. We want to encourage more people to enrol in technical education,” he said.
In order to sustain and expand the programme, the Minister of Education is pushing for a legislative bill to establish a National Skills Fund under a new Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), and the bill will soon be presented to the National Assembly, Bugaje said.
TVET is a type of education that focuses on equipping individuals with practical skills and knowledge needed for specific trades or occupations. It emphasizes hands-on learning and the acquisition of practical skills like plumbing, welding, carpentry, construction work, and other in-demand vocations in order to bridge the gap between educational institutions and the world of work.
