News Investigators/ The Federal Ministry of Education has commenced a two-day workshop for State Project Monitoring Officers (PMOs) under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme to strengthen oversight ahead of the commencement of Cohort 2.
This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Education on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah.
Mr Attah said the workshop was themed “Strengthening Monitoring, Compliance and Programme Delivery for Cohort 2 Implementation.”
He said the workshop was aimed at enhancing the capacity of PMOs to effectively monitor training centres, support implementation processes and ensure beneficiaries receive quality skills training.
He quoted the National Coordinator of Special Programmes under the Minister of Education, Adebayo Onigbanjo, to have said that the training was important for sustaining the programme’s achievements and ensuring proper implementation across the country.
According to him, State PMOs represent the ministry at the state level and are responsible for monitoring training centres, ensuring compliance with programme guidelines, and making sure trainees receive quality training.
“TVET is one of the key pillars of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) and one of the flagship programmes designed to equip Nigerians with practical, industry-relevant and employable skills,” he said.
Mr Onigbanjo said the workshop was organised to help monitoring officers better understand their duties and gain the knowledge needed to effectively support training centres.
He said participants were also being trained on the operation of biometric registration systems deployed across training centres to strengthen data integrity, beneficiary verification and accountability
“Every trainee is biometrically registered, and all payments are made directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts, thereby eliminating opportunities for abuse and ensuring that support reaches the intended recipients,” he said.
Mr Onigbanjo said the programme currently has more than 1,600 accredited training centres nationwide, making the role of state PMOs very important in ensuring compliance, quality control, and quick resolution of operational challenges.
Also speaking, the National Project Monitoring Officer for TVET and IDEAS, Odewunmi Olatunji, said the workshop provided an opportunity to review lessons learnt from the first phase of implementation and prepare stakeholders for a more effective rollout of Cohort 2.
According to him, the engagement creates a platform for interaction between national and state-level officers to identify challenges encountered during the first phase and develop practical solutions.
“This engagement allows us to receive feedback from officers who are directly involved in implementation at the state level.
“Their experiences are invaluable in helping us address gaps, improve coordination and ensure that challenges encountered during the first phase are not repeated in the next cycle,” he said.
Mr Olatunji said the workshop also brought together officials of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), representatives of biometric registration service providers and other collaborating partners to ensure alignment ahead of the commencement of Cohort 2.
He said discussions would focus on funding, payments, compliance, reporting and accreditation, as well as improving programme performance nationwide.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to building a skilled workforce and stressed that monitoring and accountability were key to the programme’s success.
NAN
