The Federal Government has announced a monthly payment of N45,000 for students in technical colleges across Nigeria.
This move was said to be part of a plan to bring new life to Technical and Vocational Education and Training.
The Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Idris Bugaje, shared this in an interview in Abuja while speaking on the second year of President Bola Tinubu’s administration on Wednesday.
Bugaje said the plan was part of a bigger effort to improve the TVET system and make it more appealing than regular university education.
He explained that the goal was to grow the TVET sector fast and get more students to enrol in technical colleges.
He added that the government will not only pay the monthly stipend but will also handle other costs.
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.
“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.
“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.”
He noted that TVET used to be well-supported in Nigeria in the past.
“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, from 129 at the moment, compared to 15,000 senior secondary schools in Nigeria,” he said.
Bugaje expressed hope that this new effort will turn things around.
He revealed that Tinubu’s government has set aside N120 billion to support students under this new TVET plan.
“This money will be given 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.
To keep the programme running, Bugaje said the Minister of Education was working on a bill.
The bill aims to create a National Skills Fund under the new Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework.
“This was an idea we have been talking about in the past years, but the new minister has taken it up.
“The bill shall soon be presented in the National Assembly to establish the Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework and under it, the National Skills Fund.
“The National Skills Fund will continue to fund TVET institutions, not only those in government colleges but also those in the private sector,” he said.
