SIWES Allowance 2026: ITF ₦15,000 Payment Update

The SIWES allowance paid by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) is ₦15,000 for a university student who completes the funded industrial attachment, and the ITF has reportedly started paying overdue stipends to some students from the 2022–2025 batches this month. Payment is not automatic: your institution must submit your logbook, ITF Form 8 and placement records, and the money goes only to an active bank account in your own name. Below is what the allowance covers, why so many students have waited years, and the practical steps to protect your payment and land a good placement.

Key facts at a glance

Who runs it: the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is managed by the ITF, which the Federal Government set up in 1971; SIWES itself started in 1973.
Student allowance: ₦15,000 per university student, the figure a Rivers State vice-chancellor publicly asked the Federal Government to review in September 2026.
Supervisor allowance: ₦5,000 per supervisor, according to the same university.
Latest update: TELL magazine reported on 25 October 2026 that the ITF has begun crediting ₦15,000 to selected students from the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 batches, but payments are uneven and many are still waiting.
Cost to you: nothing. No one should charge you to "process" or "speed up" your SIWES allowance.

How much is the SIWES allowance in 2026?

The standard student stipend remains ₦15,000 for university students. It has not been raised for years, which is why the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, called on the Federal Government in September 2026 to review it, saying it no longer reflects living costs and that SIWES students do real work for host companies.

Students at polytechnics and colleges of education have historically received less. The ITF's own 2023 figures show how this works in practice: it paid ₦733,035,000 to 48,869 university students (₦15,000 each), ₦232,970,000 to 23,297 polytechnic students and ₦72,380,000 to 7,238 college of education students (₦10,000 each). Your school's SIWES unit can confirm the rate that applies to your programme and attachment length.

Put simply, the allowance is a token stipend, not a salary. Some host organisations pay interns a separate monthly stipend or transport allowance, but that depends entirely on the employer and is not set by the ITF.

Why many students have not been paid

Delays have been a long-running complaint. In December 2025 the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) asked the Federal Government to investigate the ITF over prolonged SIWES allowance delays, saying thousands of students who completed the scheme had not been paid. Common causes reported over the years include:

funding shortfalls for the scheme;
institutions submitting incomplete student records or submitting them late;
slow verification of logbooks and forms; and
wrong, inactive or third-party bank details.

The October 2026 payments are welcome news, but they are being credited batch by batch rather than to everyone at once, so do not assume you have been left out if a classmate was paid first.

How to make sure you qualify for payment

ITF officials at a 2026 SIWES orientation in Port Harcourt stressed that students must use an active personal bank account (not a parent's or friend's) and have their National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) ready. Beyond that, follow these steps:

Attend your SIWES orientation. Most institutions make it compulsory and ITF staff explain current requirements there.
Submit your acceptance letter on time. Many universities require it within two weeks of starting your attachment.
Register your placement with the ITF. Your employer completes the commencement form (called SCAF or SPE 1 depending on your school), and you take it to the ITF area office nearest your placement, even if that office is in another state.
Fill your logbook every day. Get it signed by your industry-based supervisor; it is assessed and verified by the ITF.
Get ITF Form 8 completed and returned with your logbook and bio-data form through your departmental SIWES coordinator.
Double-check your bank details on every form: account name must match your school records.
Keep copies (photos or scans) of every form, letter and logbook page you submit.

Still unpaid? What to do next

Ask your institution's SIWES or Industrial Training Coordinating Unit whether your name was on the list sent to the ITF, and whether your documents were complete.
Visit or contact the ITF area office that handled your placement and ask about the status of your batch.
Correct any bank or name mismatch through your school; the ITF pays directly by e-payment.
Ignore anyone, on WhatsApp or social media, who asks for money, your BVN PIN or your bank login to "release" your allowance. Read our guide on how to spot fake recruitment and payment scams in Nigeria.

How to get a good SIWES placement

The allowance is small; the real value of SIWES is the experience and the contacts. Under the ITF Act, ministries, companies and government parastatals are expected to accept students for attachment, but good placements still go to students who apply early.

Start three to six months early. Use the introduction letter from your school and apply to several organisations at once.
Match the placement to your course. Your department will assess whether the work fits your field, and a relevant placement gives you stronger CV material.
Target organisations with structured programmes: banks, telcos, manufacturing plants, hospitals, research institutes, and oil and gas service companies often run intern intakes.
Prepare a one-page CV even if you have little experience. See how to write a CV with no experience.
Browse live openings on our internship jobs in Nigeria page and the wider jobs in Nigeria listings.
Treat it like a job. Be punctual, ask for real tasks and request a reference letter at the end. Many graduate trainee intakes favour candidates with relevant industrial training; see our graduate trainee programmes in Nigeria guide.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the SIWES allowance?

The ITF allowance is ₦15,000 per university student who completes the funded attachment. ITF payment records for 2023 show ₦10,000 per student for polytechnics and colleges of education.

Is the ITF paying SIWES allowance now?

Yes, partly. TELL magazine reported on 25 October 2026 that the ITF has begun paying ₦15,000 to selected students from the 2022–2025 batches. Payments are arriving in stages, so many eligible students are still waiting.

Do I need a BVN and NIN for the SIWES allowance?

ITF officials have advised students to have their NIN and BVN and to use an active bank account in their own name, not a third-party account.

Do I pay anyone to receive my SIWES allowance?

No. The allowance is paid directly by the ITF. Anyone asking for a fee or your banking passwords is running a scam.

Can I graduate without completing SIWES?

For courses where SIWES is compulsory, no. You must complete the attachment and submit your logbook and report to meet your graduation requirements.

Sources

Looking for your first role after SIWES? Browse internship and entry-level jobs in Nigeria on Jobsiz and set up alerts for your field.

By the Jobsiz Nigeria Desk · Updated 29 October 2026

SIWES Allowance 2026: ITF ₦15,000 Payments, Who Qualifies and What to Do