The Federal Government has initiated the enforcement of mandatory biometric attendance verification across all Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres in Nigeria, effective from February 1, 2026.
This directive, issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, aims to ensure transparency, safeguard public funds, and guarantee that programme benefits reach the intended trainees, with non-compliant centres facing immediate removal from the scheme.
Okay News reports that the ministry had issued a circular in December 2025, directing all TVET centres to procure and deploy biometric systems for real-time monitoring. The statement warns that any training centre failing to comply will be ineligible for government payments, and affected trainees will be redeployed to compliant centres, with students advised to confirm their centre’s compliance to avoid disruptions to their monthly stipends.
The TVET programme, launched in May 2025, is a major initiative to equip young Nigerians with industry-relevant practical skills and reduce unemployment. By December 2025, the government had disbursed N4.7 billion in stipends to trainees and accredited centres, with the programme attracting over 90,000 applicants shortly after its portal opened, highlighting strong youth demand for skills development.
Prospective new training centres are required to obtain accreditation from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) through its official portal. This move towards biometric enforcement coincides with the government’s efforts to expand access to formal technical education, including extending the registration window for the National Common Entrance Examination into Federal Technical Colleges to ease the application process for more candidates.
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