FG trains 960,000 youths under TVET scheme
…to boost entrepreneurship, job creation
The federal government has commenced the training of 960,000 Nigerian youths under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education, a flagship programme aimed at equipping young Nigerians with practical skills to become entrepreneurs and job creators.
Maruf Tunji Alausa, minister of Education, who disclosed this during an inspection visit to training centres in Abuja, said the initiative as a major milestone in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at equipping young Nigerians with employable and entrepreneurial skills that drive inclusive growth.
Alausa explained that over 250,000 youths are currently enrolled in the first cohort across 2,600 training centres nationwide.
He noted that the Ministry streamlined skill areas from 86 trades to 28 sectors critical to Nigeria’s economy, including fashion, livestock production, GSM repair, plumbing, tiling, and modern farming. The TVET curriculum, he added, is 90 percent practical and 10 percent theoretical to ensure real hands-on experience.
According to the minister, over 1.3 million applications were received when the national portal opened, with 960,000 verified through NIN and BVN to ensure transparency. Training centres are paid directly to eliminate fraud and enhance accountability.
Each participant receives a monthly stipend of ₦22,500 — ₦17,500 for upkeep and ₦5,000 for transportation while centres get ₦45,000 per trainee to support instruction. Graduates will also receive starter packs to help them establish small-scale enterprises.
Alausa emphasised that the initiative is designed to build a new generation of entrepreneurs with marketable skills and the capacity to sustain businesses.
“We designed this initiative to create entrepreneurs out of these students. This government has worked meticulously to make it sustainable, and we are proud to have achieved our targets within the eight-month timeline we set,” he said.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing the leadership and political will that revived technical and vocational education.
“We have returned to the era when technical and vocational education coexisted with other forms of learning, restoring hope for millions of Nigerian youths,” he added.
The minister revealed that many participants are graduates of universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education who now have the opportunity to acquire practical skills that can make them self-reliant and globally competitive.
He assured that sustainability has been built into the programme, with annual incremental funding already approved.
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“The President has directed the Bank of Industry to work with the Federal Ministry of Education to support graduates of this programme with affordable loans. Beyond training, this initiative is about giving young Nigerians the opportunity to apply their skills, create jobs, and contribute meaningfully to national development,” he said.
Alausa reaffirmed that the federal government remains committed to expanding the programme nationwide, ensuring that every Nigerian youth who acquires a skill becomes a driver of innovation and productivity.
“Technical and vocational education now stands at the centre of our national development agenda. This is a great day for our nation,” he said.
To further guarantee sustainability, and noted that 5% of TETFund’s budget has been dedicated to TVET, while the Bank of Industry will offer single-digit loans, and graduates will receive grants and starter packs to launch their businesses.
