FG to Give TVET Trainees Grants, BOI Soft Loans After Training

The Federal Government has announced that trainees under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiative will receive startup grants and have access to soft loans from the Bank of Industry (BOI) after completing their training.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television, explaining that the administration is repositioning technical and vocational education as a major driver of job creation, skills development, and economic growth.

According to the minister, the renewed focus on TVET is aimed at reducing Nigeria’s dependence on foreign artisans and building a strong local workforce. He noted that skilled workers such as plumbers, electricians, and technicians earn high incomes in developed countries, stressing that vocational skills must be treated as prestigious and profitable in Nigeria.

Four-Step Plan to Strengthen Technical Education

Alausa revealed that the government has introduced a four-step strategy to transform technical education nationwide.

First, students enrolled in TVET institutions will receive financial support to encourage participation. Second, vocational schools will be properly funded to improve facilities and expand training capacity.

The third step introduces the MasterCraft model, where training will be 80 percent practical and 20 percent theoretical. Skilled artisans and industry professionals will directly train students, while performance officers will monitor quality across all local government areas.

Priority Skills and Training Centres

The TVET programme will operate through skill training centres, vocational enterprise institutes, and state and federal technical colleges. Skill training centres will run six-month programmes for school dropouts and individuals who did not complete basic education.

Training will focus on high-demand skills such as CNG conversion, renewable energy, mechanized agriculture, plumbing, electrical works, woodwork, and livestock production. The number of approved skills has been reduced to 26 to ensure relevance and employment opportunities.

Grants and BOI Loans for Graduates

At the end of the programme, graduates will receive entrepreneurial grants to start their own businesses. Those who require additional funding will be able to access single-digit interest loans from the Bank of Industry.