The Federal Government says students attending technical colleges nationwide will receive a monthly stipend of N45,000.
Prof. Idris Bugaje, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He said, “With this, young people will find it more attractive to come to a technical college, acquire skills qualification, get jobs locally and even beyond the borders of Nigeria.
“This way, the whole sector is being repositioned. We are at the moment facing what you may call either a resurrection or a rebirth of TVET.
He regretted that TVET which enjoyed governmental attention during colonial days and early part of Nigeria’s post-independence, had been neglected for a long time.
”But, since 1980s, we have been going down the drains. That is why the number of technical colleges has dropped to 129 at the moment, compared to 15,000 senior secondary schools in Nigeria.
He explained that the N45,000 will be given as a grant and not a loan to the students
“Students who enjoy this are not going to pay back. We want to encourage more people to enroll in technical education,” Bugaje said.
