In a move to promote skills development and reduce unemployment, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that students in technical colleges will now receive N45,000 every month. This grant will come through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and is part of a bigger plan to support Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across the country.
The news was shared by the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Idris Bugaje, during an interview in Abuja. He explained that this step is aimed at encouraging more young Nigerians to choose technical education over traditional university degrees.
Bugaje said, “The government will pay school fees, give money to industry-based supervisors (called master class instructors), and cover the cost of skill certification.” This makes the offer more attractive for students who want to gain hands-on experience and earn technical qualifications.
He added that this financial support is not a student loan but a non-refundable grant, which means students won’t need to pay it back. This helps remove one of the biggest challenges many students face—financial barriers to education.
According to Bugaje, TVET used to be a strong part of Nigeria’s education system, especially during the colonial era and early years of independence. However, things have declined since the 1980s. He pointed out that there are only 129 technical colleges in Nigeria today, compared to 15,000 senior secondary schools.
To fix this, the Federal Government is now investing heavily in vocational education. The N120 billion set aside for the new TVET programme will help fund school fees, provide monthly stipends, and cover the cost of certifications. These efforts aim to make technical education more valuable in the job market and even attractive for international job opportunities.
“This way, 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.
To ensure the sustainability of the programme, the Ministry of Education is preparing a bill to establish a National Skills Fund under the Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework. This bill, once passed, will provide long-term funding for technical institutions in both public and private sectors.
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Bugaje said the initiative marks a “rebirth of TVET,” and with strong government support, the sector could regain its former glory.
This development is also expected to attract more advertisers and partners in sectors like education, scholarships, student finance, and youth empowerment—making it valuable content for monetized platforms.