The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to making technical education accessible to all Nigerian children by fully funding every Federal Technical College nationwide.

This was disclosed in a statement by the education ministry. It said tuition fees would be completely free and that the government would also cover approved charges, including boarding, uniforms, textbooks, exercise books, prospectuses, and ID cards.

Other areas of support include stationery, clubs and societies, medical, vocational, utilities, security, website/e-result, school media, extra lessons, and insurance.

Education minister Tunji Alausa stressed that the government would bear the full cost of tuition to guarantee equal access. Mr Alausa warned that no principal or administrator was permitted to demand unauthorised payments from parents or guardians and directed that circulars reinforcing this policy be sent to all schools and parents.

He urged parents to report illegal demands directly to the ministry through the following channels: Hotline: 0803 657 6733, 0803 637 3796, and email: tse@education.gov.ng. He explained that the initiative reflected President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritised technical and vocational education and training as a pathway to human capital development.

“No Nigerian child should be denied access to technical education because of illegal charges. By investing in education today, we are building a stronger, self-reliant Nigeria,” Mr Alausa said.

Mr Alausa clarified that while tuition and core expenses were fully covered, students at federal technical colleges, as boarders, were expected to provide their personal items.

(NAN)