The Federal Ministry of Education has commenced preparations for the rollout of biometric monitoring and verification systems ahead of the commencement of Cohort 2 of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Programme.
The move is part of efforts by the Federal Government to strengthen transparency, monitoring, compliance, and programme delivery across accredited TVET training centres nationwide.
To support the implementation process, the Ministry has begun a two-day capacity-building workshop for State Project Monitoring Officers (PMOs) drawn from across the country. The workshop is focused on preparing state-level officers to oversee the next phase of the programme and ensure that all approved centres comply with operational guidelines.
Speaking during the workshop, the National Coordinator of Special Programmes under the Federal Ministry of Education, Adebayo Onigbanjo, described the training as a key step towards improving accountability and maintaining implementation standards as the programme expands into a new phase.
According to him, State PMOs will play a central role in monitoring accredited training centres, verifying compliance levels, and ensuring that trainees receive quality vocational and technical skills training in line with the objectives of the Federal Government.
He explained that the workshop was also designed to ensure that monitoring officers fully understand the operational structure of the programme before the launch of Cohort 2.
A major focus of the engagement is the deployment and operation of biometric registration systems across training centres participating in the TVET programme.
According to Onigbanjo, the biometric system is expected to strengthen beneficiary verification, improve data integrity, and reduce cases of abuse or manipulation within the programme.
“Transparency remains at the heart of the TVET initiative. We are deliberately leveraging technology while maintaining human oversight to ensure accountability at every stage of implementation,” he said.
“Every trainee is biometrically registered, and all payments are made directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts, thereby eliminating opportunities for abuse and ensuring that support reaches the intended recipients.”
The Ministry noted that the adoption of biometric verification is part of wider reforms aimed at improving monitoring systems and ensuring that only verified beneficiaries participate in the programme.
Officials said the introduction of the technology will also help the government maintain accurate records across training centres and improve real-time monitoring during implementation.
The TVET programme currently has more than 1,600 accredited training centres spread across the country, covering nearly every local government area.
Due to the scale of the programme, the Federal Ministry of Education said State PMOs are expected to serve as field supervisors responsible for compliance checks, quality assurance, and the resolution of operational issues during implementation.
Also speaking, the National Project Monitoring Officer for TVET and IDEAS, Odewunmi Olatunji, said the workshop provides an opportunity for the government to review lessons from the first phase of implementation ahead of the next rollout.
He stated that direct engagement with officers at the state level would help the Ministry identify operational gaps and improve coordination before the commencement of Cohort 2.
“This engagement allows us to receive feedback from officers who are directly involved in implementation at the state level,” Olatunji said.
“Their experiences are invaluable in helping us address gaps, improve coordination, and ensure that challenges encountered during the first phase are not repeated in the next cycle.”
The workshop also brought together officials of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), biometric registration service providers, and other implementation partners involved in the TVET programme.
The Federal Government said the collaboration is necessary to ensure all stakeholders remain aligned ahead of the nationwide rollout of Cohort 2.