Growing frustration among beneficiaries over delayed stipends, coupled with reported funding difficulties affecting trainers and training centre staff, has triggered withdrawals from the Federal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, with some centres reportedly shutting down across the country.
Key Highlights
- Cohort A beneficiaries say they are still awaiting outstanding stipends, starter packs, grants and certificates.
- Some Cohort B trainees allege they have received only one monthly stipend since training began.
- Beneficiaries say high transportation costs are making it difficult to continue attending training.
- Stakeholders have raised concerns over delayed funding for trainers, facilitators and training centres.
- Some trainees have reportedly withdrawn from the programme, while some centres are struggling to remain operational.
Beneficiaries from Cohort A, who completed the six-month programme earlier in 2026, have expressed frustration over outstanding payments and post-training support. Some said they were still awaiting unpaid stipends, starter packs, grants and certificates.
Participants in the ongoing Cohort B programme have also alleged that they have received only one stipend payment since the training began.
The development has raised concerns among trainees who said transportation expenses and other daily costs had become difficult to sustain without regular stipend payments.
At a TVET centre in Abuja, one Cohort B beneficiary, Idris, told The Trumpet Newspaper in a phone interview that he had stopped attending training regularly, partly because of personal circumstances and growing frustration over the payment situation.
Idris said he received only the ₦30,000 monthly stipend for July, adding that other beneficiaries at his centre were facing similar challenges.
According to him, the payment situation had discouraged some trainees from continuing with the programme, particularly those who spend significant amounts on transportation to attend training.
He also expressed concern over the proposed start-up packages, saying beneficiaries needed the equipment and other support to begin applying the skills acquired during the training.
Idris further alleged that discrepancies in attendance records had contributed to uncertainty over stipend eligibility. He said his recorded attendance percentage had changed despite his claim that he regularly attended the training.
Another former Cohort B beneficiary, Ochia Ngozeka Evelyn, who participated in the hospitality programme in Abuja, told The Trumpet in a phone interview that the financial burden of attending training contributed to her decision to withdraw.
Evelyn said she was spending about ₦4,600 daily on transportation and that the cost was difficult to sustain compared with the stipend she expected to receive.
She said the situation made the programme financially difficult for her, particularly because she had expected the training centre to be closer to her location.
“I calculated myself coming here every day. It is not what they told us,” she said, explaining that transportation costs had become a major challenge.
Evelyn also alleged that she received only one payment and said the situation contributed to her decision to discontinue the training.
As concerns continue to surface online, a Cohort A beneficiary identified as Engineer Jay questioned the status of outstanding stipends following the completion of the six-month programme.
He said Cohort A beneficiaries who completed their training around March and April 2026 were still waiting for three months of outstanding stipends, as well as starter packs, grants and certificates.
“Please pay us our N22,500 x 3 months arrears,” he wrote, while expressing disappointment over the handling of the programme.
Another beneficiary, Godfrey Ahile, said online that he had not received any payment despite his dashboard previously showing an attendance rate of 75 per cent.
Ahile said his dashboard currently showed his payment as pending, while his biometric attendance system remained functional. He raised concerns over possible discrepancies in the payment and attendance system.
Read also:
- TVET Begins ₦30,000 Stipend Payment to Batch B Beneficiaries
- FG Begins Distribution Of Starter Packs To 18,510 TVET Beneficiaries
- TVET Cohort 2 July Stipends Approved, Payments May Begin Next Week
The complaints come amid reports of difficulties affecting some TVET training centres, with stakeholders alleging that inadequate or delayed funding for trainers, facilitators and other centre personnel has affected the smooth running of the programme.
Some beneficiaries have consequently withdrawn from training, while some centres are reportedly unable to continue operations.
The TVET programme was introduced to equip Nigerians with technical and vocational skills while improving opportunities for self-employment and employability. More details on the Federal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training initiatives can be found on the Federal Ministry of Education website.
However, complaints from beneficiaries suggest that delayed stipends, transportation costs, attendance-related concerns and uncertainty over starter packs and grants are affecting participation.
The beneficiaries called for greater transparency in the payment process, prompt settlement of outstanding stipends and timely provision of promised starter packs and other post-training support.
They also urged the authorities responsible for the programme to address the concerns of trainers and training centres to prevent further withdrawals and disruption of ongoing training. For the latest updates, follow us on X.
