By Tony Obiechina Abuja
The Federal Government on Friday declared that students in Federal and State Technical Colleges , will henceforth enjoy free education.
The Government explained that the package includes free tuition, accommodation, and feeding and a monthly stipend of N22,500 to students in the colleges.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the development at the launch of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) in Abuja.
The Minister said the gesture was designed to attract more young people to TVET, incentivise them so they could use the opportunity to acquire relevant skills that would make them useful to society.
Speaking at a news conference to officially launch the renewed Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Initiative, Alausa described it as a bold and strategic effort to reposition the education system to meet the practical needs of the nation’s economy and the aspirations of Nigerian youth.
According to him, the portal for registration of trainees under the TVET programme will be formally launched by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
He said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s desire to ensure that no one is left behind. He added that the gesture is designed to attract more young people to TVET and incentivize them to acquire relevant skills that will make them useful to society.
The explained that the free education applies to students in both federal and state technical colleges across the country.
Accreditation of both public and private TVET centres nationwide is ongoing for the training of other categories of students.
He disclosed that the national target is to train no fewer than 5 million Nigerian youths with industry-relevant, entrepreneurial, and income-generating skills by the year 2030. He emphasized that this is not just a projection but a mission backed by strategic investments, implementation frameworks, and multisectoral partnerships.
He stressed that the goal is not merely to produce certified graduates but to build a skilled workforce that is globally competitive, entrepreneurial, and adaptable. He noted that this is the only way to bridge the skills gap, reduce youth unemployment, support local industries, and attract investments into the real economy.
“We are gathered here not merely to make another policy pronouncement, but to formally declare a new national resolve — a resolve to unlock the latent potential of millions of young Nigerians by equipping them with relevant, market-driven skills; a resolve to reposition TVET as a cornerstone of our economic recovery, social inclusion, and industrial competitiveness.
“Nigeria’s greatest resource is not beneath the ground — it is in the energy, creativity, and talent of her people. With over 70 percent of our population under the age of 30, the urgency to transform demographic potential into productive capacity cannot be overstated.
“The TVET initiative is our coordinated, data-driven, and action-oriented response to this challenge,” he stated.
Alausa further noted that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Ministry of Education has identified TVET as a national priority.
He said the reform package is anchored on a standardized skills certification and demand-driven trade areas. To ensure broad participation, the government has introduced a package of practical incentives: tuition waivers, monthly stipends for learners, grants and single-digit loans in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BOI), and business start-up kits for graduates.
“These measures are designed to reduce attrition, promote completion, and enhance employability.
“At the heart of this initiative lies the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), which sets a clear, credible, and industry-aligned pathway for skills acquisition and assessment.
“We are reforming the role of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) and collaborating with domestic and international awarding bodies to deliver certifications that are both locally relevant and globally respected,” he stated.
The Minister further revealed that the reform is designed to be inclusive, decentralized, and collaborative, explaining that the Ministry has already engaged state governors, commissioners of education, sector skills councils, regulatory agencies, employers, and development partners to build ownership at every level.
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According to him, over 3,600 teachers and instructors have been retrained and upskilled, while the government is scaling up the accreditation of both public and private TVET centres nationwide.
He, therefore, urged all Nigerians — governments at all levels, private sector actors, donor agencies, civil society, and the media — to see themselves as co-owners of this transformative agenda.
“Together, we must change the perception of TVET from an alternative to academic education, to a first-choice pathway to dignity, productivity, and national development,” he stated.
In her welcome remarks, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, described the TVET initiative as a bold leap forward for dreamers, builders, innovators, and problem-solvers who aspire to shape the nation with their hands, hearts, and minds.
