Some beneficiaries of the federal government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme have protested their exclusion from the list of trainees eligible to receive starter packs, alleging that technical glitches in the attendance system may have affected their eligibility.
Key Highlights
- Some TVET trainees protest exclusion from the starter-pack beneficiary list.
- About 2,000 trainees reportedly approved to receive equipment.
- List covers four trades: network installation, solar PV, computer hardware/GSM repair, and fashion design.
- Excluded trainees blame network glitches on the TVET attendance platform.
- Social media users allege inconsistencies in stipend payments; claims not independently verified.
The complaints followed the release of the starter-pack beneficiary list on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, with approximately 2,000 trainees reportedly included among those approved to receive equipment to support their vocational skills and entrepreneurial activities.
The approved trades covered in the list are network system installation, solar photovoltaic (PV) installation and maintenance; computer hardware and GSM repair and maintenance, and fashion design and garment making.
The release which covers qualified trainees under the federal government’s TVET programme, has nevertheless generated dissatisfaction among some beneficiaries who said they were left out despite recording attendance percentages they believed met the programme’s requirements.
The affected trainees, including some in Abuja, have questioned the accuracy of their attendance records and the consistency of the eligibility process, calling on the authorities to investigate reported network failures during attendance registration.
Trainees Question Eligibility Process
Speaking to The Trumpet, some excluded beneficiaries, including Austine Esoh and Abdulrahaman Mohammed, expressed dissatisfaction with the published list, saying the eligibility criteria appear not to have been applied consistently.
One of the trainees said he recorded about 70 percent attendance but was still excluded from the list, raising questions about how the authorities determined eligibility for the starter packs.
Another beneficiary, who requested anonymity, accused officials overseeing the programme of poor administration, alleging that the exclusion of some trainees could deprive them of expected benefits.
The beneficiary also raised concerns about possible corruption in the implementation of the programme, although the allegation has not been independently substantiated.
The controversy has renewed concerns over the administration of the TVET programme, which has faced complaints about delayed or missing stipends, difficulties with attendance registration and disruptions to training activities in some centres.
Network Errors On Attendance Platform
Reports gathered by The Trumpet indicate that some trainees experienced difficulties signing in and signing out of the attendance system because of recurring network errors on the TVET platform.
The affected beneficiaries alleged that these technical challenges disrupted their attendance records and may have negatively affected their eligibility for stipends and starter packs.
They have called on the authorities to investigate the reported system failures and establish whether trainees were unfairly penalised for technical problems beyond their control.
Read also:
- FG Releases List of Qualified TVET Starter Pack Beneficiaries for Cohorts 1 and 2
- FG Begins September Stipend Payments To TVET Trainees, Processes Outstanding Arrears
- FG’s TVET Funding Crisis: Beneficiaries Protest Delayed Stipends, Centre Shutdowns
Stipend Complaints On Social Media
The complaints have also generated criticism on social media, where beneficiaries have questioned the consistency of attendance records used to determine eligibility for monthly stipends and starter packs.
Some trainees alleged that individuals with attendance percentages below the stated threshold received payments, while others with higher attendance records were left unpaid.
Awal Presdo, in a Facebook post, expressed frustration over what he described as inconsistencies in the payment process.
“Stop wasting your time asking if those with 60% or 40% attendance got paid. Honestly, it’s a waste of time. I’ve seen someone with just 5% attendance and he received August payment, also a guy with 15% who also received August payment while many with above 50% received nothing,” he wrote.
He added: “At this point, it looks like they pay whoever they feel like paying, be like random selection, so please stop wasting your time. If them pay you, fine; if they don’t, move on.”
Another Facebook user, Saadiya Umar Faruk, echoed the complaints, writing, “Exactly, I have seen someone with 10% and received 4 August.”
Similarly, Usman Adam Ulah claimed that he recorded 80 percent attendance in August but received no payment, while David Ebomuche also expressed frustration over the situation in a social media post.
The claims made by the social media users could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report. The allegations do not, on their own, establish that stipend payments were deliberately allocated without regard to the programme’s eligibility requirements.
Other Trades Missing From List
The four trades identified in the released list have also drawn attention to the scope of the starter-pack distribution.
Some trainees have expressed concern that other vocational fields, including social media communication, poultry farming, catering and hospitality, appear to be missing from the list they accessed.
The reported omissions have prompted calls for clearer communication on whether the latest publication covers all trades under the wider TVET initiative or only selected categories of eligible beneficiaries.
The inclusion of a trade in the broader TVET programme does not necessarily mean that trainees in that field are covered by every starter-pack distribution exercise. Details of the programme are available on the Federal Ministry of Education website.
For more updates on the TVET programme, follow us on X.
