Nigeria’s decision to fully fund admissions into federal technical colleges is being hailed as a win for jobs and skills, but parents should be asking hard questions about how it will actually work.
Development Diaries reports that the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, recently approved the initiative, which is part of the government’s broader strategy to expand access to quality technical and vocational education.
It is meant to equip young Nigerians with practical, employable, and industry-relevant skills.
The real issue is not whether technical education is important, but whether the systems needed to make it truly free, accessible, and useful are actually in place.
The first failing system is policy-to-delivery. Nigeria already has Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) standards, policies, and global commitments, yet many technical colleges lack basic equipment, qualified instructors, and industry-relevant curricula.
Opening admissions without fixing these gaps risks sending students into classrooms that cannot train them. Without tools, teachers, and updated programmes, ‘free education’ becomes free admission into broken systems.
Funding is the second major weakness. A ‘fully funded’ programme requires clear capital and recurrent budgets, multi-year funding commitments, and predictable cash releases.
When governments announce education programmes without publishing how they will be financed, schools are left waiting for funds, projects stall, and hidden costs are pushed to parents. Without transparent budget lines and release schedules, the promise of free education is not credible.
Access and inclusion form the third gap. Online-only registration and mandatory NIN requirements may exclude rural families, displaced persons, persons with disabilities, and out-of-school youth who lack internet access or identity documents.
If these barriers are not addressed, the programme will benefit only the already connected, while those most in need are left out.
The fourth challenge is whether skills will lead to jobs because technical education works only when linked to apprenticeships, enterprises, and labour-market demand. Without formal partnerships with industries and clear placement pathways, certificates will not translate into income.
There is also the accountability gap. There are no publicly stated targets for admissions by state, gender, or disability, no timelines for teacher recruitment; and no clear welfare or safeguarding plans. Without these, monitoring becomes impossible and failure easy to deny.
What then should Nigerians demand now?
First, we must go beyond welcoming the announcement and demand proof. We should monitor budgets closely by pushing for full budget transparency, calling on lawmakers at the national and state assemblies to table and publish how the ‘fully funded’ promise is reflected in appropriation laws, release schedules, and actual cash backing.
Second, parents and civil society should insist that safeguarding measures are publicly posted in advance, including boarding arrangements, menstrual health support, disability access, child protection policies, and campus security plans.
Third, you should demand employer commitments, not assumptions. Industry bodies, chambers of commerce, and large employers must publish signed MoUs that spell out internship slots, placement targets, and local hiring quotas for graduates.
For government institutions, the Ministry of Education should assess the initiative as part of the broader right to education and the state’s obligation to promote skills and livelihoods and link this to SDG 4 and domestic education commitments.
The ministry must then publish a verified, funded implementation manual that clearly shows seat numbers by state and school, capital and recurrent budget lines with treasury disbursement calendars, and teacher recruitment, training, and accreditation schedules.
For their part, the Budget Office and Ministry of Finance must clearly set aside dedicated funds for the programme and make sure the money is actually released.
As for the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and accreditation bodies, they must fast-track accreditation and release competency-based curricula aligned with industry needs.
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) must deploy mobile NIN enrolment, community verification systems, and provisional ID options so lack of documentation does not become exclusion.
State governments must provide hostels or boarding options, local security, transport support for rural students, and co-fund workshops and laboratories where possible.
House committees must hold immediate public hearings to verify funding, readiness, and inclusion safeguards, while independent civil society monitors should track implementation through a public dashboard updated throughout registration and admissions.
A free technical education programme can be transformative, but ‘free’ is about money that reaches schools, teachers who are trained and paid, equipment that works, safety that protects, and clear pathways to decent work.
Without these, the initiative risks becoming another shiny headline followed by empty classrooms and frustrated families.
Development Diaries will be watching closely the published and funded plans, inclusive registration systems, and real industry placement guarantees. Nigerians should demand the same, collectively, persistently, and with evidence.
