The directive was announced in a statement signed by Mrs. Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education. According to the Ministry, the measure is intended to ensure that programme benefits are delivered strictly to eligible trainees and that attendance records are accurately monitored in real time.
Under the new framework, biometric verification has been declared the only approved method for validating attendance under the TVET Programme. The enforcement took effect from February 1, 2026, following an earlier circular issued in December 2025 that directed all accredited TVET training centres to procure and deploy biometric attendance systems.
The Ministry warned that non-compliance will attract immediate sanctions. Training centres that fail to meet the requirement risk removal from the programme, while affected trainees may be redeployed to centres that are fully compliant. In addition, any centre that does not comply with the biometric verification directive will not be eligible for payment under the programme.
While stressing strict enforcement, the Federal Government said it remains open to onboarding new training centres interested in participating in the TVET Programme. Prospective centres are required to obtain accreditation from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), with applications processed through the NBTE TVET portal.
Students currently enrolled in the programme were also advised to confirm that their training centres have fully implemented the biometric attendance system, warning that failure to do so could lead to disruptions in their monthly stipends. The Ministry added that complaints or requests for assistance can be submitted through the official TVET support platform available on the portal.
Nigeria’s current TVET Programme was launched in May 2025 by the Federal Ministry of Education as part of a broader strategy to equip young Nigerians with industry-relevant practical skills and address unemployment. The initiative called for the nationwide accreditation of vocational centres, including Skill Training Centres (STCs), Vocational Enterprise Institutions (VEIs) and Mastercraft Persons (MCPs), enabling them to access government funding for skills training.
Designed to better align training with labour market needs, the programme emphasises hands-on learning and job readiness. Demand has been strong, with over 90,000 applicants recorded shortly after the application portal opened in 2025. By December 2025, the government had disbursed N4.7 billion in stipends to trainees and accredited centres to support participants financially during their training.
In a related development, the Federal Government opened the admission portal for Federal Technical Colleges nationwide on January 26, 2026, marking the start of registration for the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE). Although registration was initially scheduled to close on May 24, 2026, with the examination fixed for June 6, authorities later extended the timeline to allow a four-month registration window.
The extension was introduced to ease pressure on candidates and families, reduce congestion on the registration platform, and ensure a smoother application process, as part of ongoing efforts to broaden access to formal technical and vocational education across the country.