By Atoyebi Nike
The Federal Government has reiterated that tuition and approved fees in all Federal Technical Colleges (FTCs) remain free, cautioning principals and administrators against imposing unauthorised levies on students.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and shared via the Ministry of Education’s X handle on Thursday, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, stressed that the government bears the full cost of tuition to guarantee equal access to technical education.
“No administrator is permitted to demand extra payments from parents or guardians,” Alausa said, noting that circulars have been dispatched to all schools to reinforce the directive.
The government covers approved expenses such as boarding, uniforms, textbooks, exercise books, ID cards, stationery, medical services, vocational training, utilities, security, websites/e-result, Skool Media, extra lessons, and insurance.
Parents have been urged to report illegal demands directly to the ministry via hotlines (0803 657 6733, 0803 637 3796) or email (tse@education.gov.ng).
The minister, however, clarified that while tuition and official costs are fully funded, boarding students are expected to provide personal items such as toiletries, beddings, cutlasses, hoes, rain boots, and buckets. Each student is also expected to present one ream of A4 paper for registration.
The initiative, part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, prioritises Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a pathway to human capital development and national competitiveness.
“No Nigerian child should be denied access to technical education because of illegal charges. By investing in education, we are building a stronger, self-reliant Nigeria,” Alausa said, assuring that monitoring mechanisms are in place to swiftly address infractions.
