FG Approves ₦45,000 Monthly Allowance for Technical College Students
In a major push to revitalise Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the Federal Government has announced a monthly stipend of N45,000 for students in technical colleges across Nigeria.
- The Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, revealed the initiative during an interview in Abuja, as part of reflections on President Bola Tinubu’s two years in office.
Bugaje said the stipend is part of a broader strategy to reposition TVET as a viable alternative to conventional university education, aimed at boosting enrollment and fast-tracking sector development at the sub-tertiary level.
In addition to the monthly stipend, the government will:
- Cover tuition fees for students
- Pay stipends to industry-based supervisors (referred to as “master class” instructors)
- Fund skill certification costs
“These incentives are designed to make technical education more appealing to young Nigerians, helping them acquire industry-relevant skills and find employment both locally and internationally,” Bugaje explained.
- He described the initiative as a “resurrection or rebirth” of the TVET sector, which had declined since the 1980s. He noted that Nigeria currently has only 129 technical colleges, compared to over 15,000 senior secondary schools.
- Bugaje expressed confidence that the policy would reverse the decline and restore TVET to its former importance.
- He disclosed that President Tinubu’s administration has allocated a N120 billion grant to support the program, which will be administered through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Importantly, he clarified that the N45,000 stipend is a grant, not a loan, and students will not be required to repay it.
“This is a strategic shift to encourage more Nigerians to embrace skills-based education,” Bugaje said.
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