FG To Pay N45,000 Monthly Stipend To Technical College Students — NBTE

In a significant boost to technical and vocational education in Nigeria, the Federal Government has announced that students enrolled in technical colleges nationwide will begin receiving a N45,000 monthly stipend.

This was disclosed by Prof. Idris Bugaje, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

According to Prof. Bugaje, the stipend is part of a broader initiative to revive and reposition Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across the country. He emphasized that the ?45,000 is a grant, not a loan, and beneficiaries will not be required to repay it.

“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,” he said.

Bugaje described the current state of technical education as undergoing a “rebirth” or “resurrection”, after decades of neglect. He noted that while TVET enjoyed significant attention during colonial times and in the early years following independence, interest in the sector has sharply declined since the 1980s.

“That is why the number of technical colleges has dropped. We currently have just 129 technical colleges, compared to 15,000 senior secondary schools in Nigeria,” he lamented.

He expressed optimism that the monthly stipend would help reverse the decline, increase enrollment, and restore the status of technical education as a viable path to employment and economic development.

“We want to encourage more people to enroll in technical education,” Bugaje added.

The announcement comes amid ongoing efforts by the federal government to combat youth unemployment and equip Nigerian students with market-relevant skills.

Further details regarding implementation timelines and eligibility criteria for the stipend are expected to be released in the coming weeks.