According to a statement by the spokesperson for the education ministry, Folasade Boriowo, all centres are to deploy biometric attendance systems for real-time monitoring.
The Nigerian government has begun full enforcement of biometric attendance verification across all Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme centres.
The Ministry of Education said the enforcement which took effect on 1 February, has now linked all payments and trainees' stipends to verified attendance records.
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According to a statement by the spokesperson for the education ministry, Folasade Boriowo, all centres are to deploy biometric attendance systems for real-time monitoring.
The statement said biometric verification is now "the sole approved method for validating attendance under the TVET Programme,"
It described the measure as part of renewed efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability and effective service delivery
The programme is a major federal effort to tackle youth unemployment and skill shortages by equipping Nigerians with practical, industry-relevant skills.
According to the ministry, more than 100,000 students are currently enrolled in vocational education across 1,600 vocational schools and training centres nationwide.
The ministry had said this cohort represents the first wave of a larger rollout, with about 250,000 trainees expected to be fully enrolled in the next two to three months.
Payments, stipends
According to the ministry, all payments to training centres and monthly stipends to trainees will now be processed solely based on biometric attendance data.
"Consequently, all payments to Training Centres and monthly stipends to trainees are now processed strictly on the basis of verified biometric attendance records," the ministry said.
It added that any training centre that fails to comply with the directive will not be eligible for payment, while trainees attached to such centres will also forfeit their monthly stipends.
Sanctions
The ministry said training centres had earlier been warned that continued non-compliance could lead to removal from the programme.
"Training Centres were earlier notified that continued non-compliance would result in removal from the programme, with affected trainees redeployed to fully compliant centres," the statement said.
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It stressed that compliance with the biometric verification is "mandatory and non-negotiable," noting that the measure is meant to safeguard public funds and ensure benefits reach intended beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government said it is still welcoming new training centres interested in participating in the TVET programme.
According to the ministry, prospective centres must obtain accreditation from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), after which they can apply through the NBTE TVET portal.
Advisory to students
The ministry also advised students enrolled in the programme to confirm that their centres have fully complied with the biometric requirement to avoid disruptions to their stipends.
It added that complaints and requests for assistance can be submitted through the official TVET support platform on the portal.
Reaffirming the government's position, the ministry said it remains "steadfast in its commitment to strengthening the integrity of the TVET Programme and ensuring that public resources are deployed transparently, responsibly, and efficiently to empower Nigerian youth and drive national development."
