Thousands of Nigerian youths enrolled in the Federal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme have accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of abandoning them after their monthly stipends were reportedly unpaid for five months.
The trainees, operating under the “Concerned TVET Trainees” group, raised the alarm in a statement on Tuesday, saying the delay has caused severe financial hardship and disrupted their participation in the skills acquisition programme.
According to them, the programme was designed as a youth empowerment initiative with a monthly stipend of ₦22,500 to support transportation, feeding, and other training-related costs. They said many participants enrolled after undergoing screening, expecting the government to fulfil its promises.
The trainees alleged that despite consistently attending training sessions and meeting programme requirements, they have not received any payments since the initiative began, adding that repeated complaints to programme officials have gone unanswered.
They urged relevant authorities to urgently intervene and release the outstanding stipends, warning that continued delays could undermine the credibility of the TVET scheme, which was introduced to reduce unemployment and equip young Nigerians with vocational skills.