The Federal Government has started strict enforcement of biometric attendance verification across all Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centres in Nigeria. The policy, effective from 1 February 2026, makes real-time biometric tracking the only acceptable method for recording attendance in the Federal TVET programme.
This enforcement follows a December 2025 circular that directed every TVET training centre to procure and install biometric attendance systems. Government aims are clear: reduce fraud, protect public funds, ensure accountability, and make programme disbursements contingent on verified presence.
The Federal Ministry of Education has framed the move as essential for transparency and service delivery. Centres that fail to comply will be excluded from payments and stipends, and they risk removal from the programme entirely.
“It’s in the pipeline” for many public policies, but this enforcement is already active. The ministry has stated unequivocally that biometric verification is now the sole approved method for validating attendance under the TVET Programme.
Officials reiterate that training centres were warned that continued non-compliance would trigger sanctions. “Training Centres were earlier notified that continued non-compliance would result in removal from the programme, with affected trainees redeployed to fully compliant centres.”
Under the new enforcement regime, all stipend payments to trainees and funding for centres are strictly tied to biometric records. Centres without functioning systems will not receive government funding and students at non-compliant centres risk losing their monthly stipends.
This policy shift alters the operational baseline for TVET delivery. Previously, attendance could be recorded through non-digital or manual processes. The biometric requirement now makes digital verification mandatory, creating a sharp compliance threshold.
Training centres must obtain or upgrade biometric hardware and integrate it with their reporting procedures. The ministry’s spokesperson has made clear that failure to implement the system means forfeiture of official programme benefits.
The move also implicitly strengthens supervision and reduces ambiguity in attendance reporting. By tying payments directly to authenticated biometric data, the government reduces opportunities for inflated attendance claims, ghost trainees, and payment errors.
Government sources confirm this enforcement aligns with broader efforts to tighten oversight across federal education initiatives. It signals a shift toward data-driven accountability mechanisms in public programmes.
TVET centres still seeking accreditation can apply through the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) TVET portal. The government continues to welcome new entrants, but compliance with the biometric standard is non-negotiable.
In summary, enforcement of biometric attendance is now binding, backed by financial penalties and operational consequences. It marks a transition to stricter compliance standards in Nigeria’s TVET landscape.
