Accredited skills training centres implementing Cohort II of the Federal Ministry of Education’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Initiative in Kano and Jigawa states have threatened to suspend training activities from October 4, 2026, over unresolved concerns about the programme’s payment arrangement.
The centres, in a statement signed by Ibrahim S. Nuhu on behalf of accredited TVET training centres in Kano State and Engr. Jabir Wada Isa on behalf of participating centres in Jigawa State and issued on Wednesday, said they may suspend operations if the proposed attendance-based payment mechanism, particularly the requirement that trainees attain a minimum of 65 per cent monthly attendance, is not resolved before the deadline.
The centres said they remain committed to the Federal Government’s TVET programme and have continued training activities despite what they described as growing concerns over the implementation of a payment arrangement they believe differs from the terms contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed for the programme.
At the centre of the dispute is the proposed condition that payments to training centres should be tied to individual trainees achieving at least 65 per cent monthly attendance.
According to the centres, the executed MoU provides for payment based on verified trainees and agreed programme milestones and, in their interpretation, does not make payment conditional on each trainee attaining a specific monthly attendance threshold.
They called for strict adherence to the executed agreement, arguing that any subsequent modification to the payment framework should not be applied retrospectively to training services already delivered.
The centres said they support biometric attendance monitoring, verification and other accountability measures designed to ensure transparency and quality in the programme. However, they expressed concern that making payment dependent on attendance levels could leave training providers bearing the cost of delivering services without corresponding payment.
They said training providers are required to provide trainers, assessors, facilities, equipment, consumables and other resources for assigned trainees, even though recruitment, selection and deployment of trainees are handled through programme processes outside the direct control of individual centres.
The centres consequently questioned why they should bear the financial consequences when trainees fail to report for training, withdraw from the programme or attend irregularly.
They also demanded transparent verification and reconciliation of biometric attendance records, particularly in cases where attendance data may be disputed or affected by technical problems, before such records are used to determine payments.
The centres warned that the dispute could have consequences beyond the finances of training providers, saying a suspension of activities could disrupt skills acquisition opportunities for young Nigerians currently enrolled in the programme.
They noted that trainers and assessors had already been engaged, facilities mobilised and substantial resources committed to the implementation of the programme.
The training centres therefore appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, to intervene urgently and facilitate a resolution before the proposed October 4 suspension date.
Among their demands are the immediate settlement of outstanding payments in accordance with the executed MoU, reconsideration of the 65 per cent attendance-based payment condition where it differs from the agreed payment arrangement, and a guarantee that any revised payment condition will not be applied retrospectively.
They also called for a workable mechanism for replacing trainees who fail to report or withdraw from the programme, as well as regular and timely payment of approved trainee stipends.
The centres stressed that their position should not be interpreted as opposition to attendance monitoring or accountability, saying they support such measures provided they are transparent, workable and consistent with the agreement under which the programme commenced.
They expressed hope that the issues would be resolved through dialogue before October 4, but warned that participating centres may be compelled to suspend training activities if the concerns remain unresolved.