FG Reaffirms Free Tuition in Federal Technical Colleges, Warns Against Illegal Fees

The Federal Government has restated that tuition and approved fees in all Federal Technical Colleges (FTCs) across the country remain free, cautioning principals and administrators against imposing unauthorised charges on students.

In a statement released Wednesday and shared via the Ministry of Education’s official X handle on Thursday, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, emphasized that the government bears the full cost of tuition to guarantee equal access to technical education nationwide.

“No administrator is permitted to demand extra payments from parents or guardians. Circulars have already been dispatched to all schools to reinforce this directive,” Alausa stated.

According to him, the government covers approved expenses such as:

 Boarding, Uniforms, Textbooks and exercise books, Prospectuses and ID cards, Stationery, clubs, and societies, Medical services, Vocational training, Utilities and security, School websites/e-result processing, Skool Media, Extra lessons and Insurance

Parents, he said, should immediately report any illegal demands directly to the Ministry of Education through its designated channels.

Alausa clarified, however, that students in boarding schools are still expected to provide personal items such as toiletries, beddings, rain boots, cutlasses, hoes, and buckets, alongside a ream of A4 paper for registration.

The initiative, he explained, is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which 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 added.

The Minister further assured that monitoring mechanisms have been put in place to swiftly tackle infractions and urged stakeholders to help safeguard the free-education policy. He stressed that FTCs must remain focused on their mission of producing skilled graduates for national transformation.