SIWES Allowance in Nigeria 2026: What ITF Pays & When

SIWES Allowance in Nigeria 2026: What ITF Pays, When, and How to Claim It

Short answer: The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) pays SIWES students a small allowance of ₦2,500 per month of training, which comes to about ₦15,000 for a six-month placement and about ₦10,000 for four months. It is paid once, into your bank account, after your training ends and your school has submitted your logbook and ITF Form 8. There is no fixed payment date, and delays of many months are common. Any extra pay from your host company is a separate, voluntary arrangement.

Every SIWES intake, the same question floods our DMs: "How much will ITF pay me, and when?" This page gives the official figures with sources, explains why payments are late, and lists the steps that stop your own payment from stalling.

How much is the SIWES allowance in 2026?

ITF's SIWES guidelines set the student allowance at ₦2,500 per student per month, paid by e-payment directly into the student's account. The same document sets a supervisory allowance of ₦250 per student per month for institutions. (ITF SIWES guidelines)

What that means in practice:

ITF's own 2023 payment figures match this: ₦733 million to 48,869 university students (₦15,000 each), about ₦233 million to 23,297 polytechnic students (₦10,000 each) and ₦72.4 million to 7,238 college of education students (₦10,000 each). (Peoples Gazette, April 2024)

We found no sign of a change in 2026. At a 2026 SIWES orientation, a university vice-chancellor publicly urged the Federal Government to review "the N15,000 allowance paid to students". (The Tide, September 2026)

A correction. An earlier version of this article said ITF pays ₦25,000 to ₦30,000 a month. We could not find any official source for that, so we have removed it. If ITF announces a review, we will update this page.

When is the SIWES allowance paid?

ITF pays after your training, not during it. The usual order is:

1. You finish your placement and your host completes its section of ITF Form 8, the end-of-programme report.
2. You submit your signed logbook, Form 8 and technical report to your school's SIWES unit.
3. Your institution forwards the documents to its ITF Area Office.
4. The Area Office vets the logbooks and compiles the list of students to be paid (the Students' Institutional Payment list).
5. ITF pays eligible students by e-payment into the bank account on their records.

Steps 3 to 5 are outside your control and can take many months. ITF's former Director-General has called stipend payment the "greatest challenge" of the scheme and tied delays to underfunding, saying some students graduate before they are paid. (ICIR) Plan your placement budget as if the allowance will not arrive while you are training.

Why SIWES allowances get delayed

Some delays are funding problems at ITF. Many are paperwork problems you can prevent:

1. Bank details that don't match. The name, account number and BVN on your forms must match your bank records exactly.
2. Missing or late Form 8. Rivers State University's SIWES unit notes that payments go only to students who submit complete logbooks, Forms 8 and technical reports on time. (RSU SIWES unit)
3. An incomplete logbook. Weekly entries need your industry-based supervisor's signature every week.
4. Placement forms not filed at the start. Your host completes the placement form at the beginning of your attachment. Most universities call it SPE-1 (Students' Placement with Employer); ITF's guidelines call it SCAF (Students' Commencement of Attachment Form). It goes to the nearest ITF Area Office.
5. Missing e-payment form. Some schools require a Direct E-Payment Form so ITF can pay you. Ask your SIWES unit if yours does.

Do companies pay SIWES students extra?

Some do, but it is not required by ITF and there is no standard rate. Whether a host pays a monthly stipend, transport or lunch depends entirely on the company. Ask before you accept a placement, and get the answer in writing.

At Tech Faculty NG, on-site SIWES has no placement fee. On our Tutor & Earn track, students who already have a tech skill teach other learners and get paid while they complete their IT. See the SIWES programme for how both tracks work.

Checklist: how to make sure you get paid

• Confirm your placement with your school's SIWES coordinator before Day 1
• Have your host complete SPE-1 (or SCAF) at the start, with bank details that match your BVN
• Get your logbook signed every week
• Get ITF Form 8 completed and signed on your last day
• Submit logbook, Form 8 and technical report to your SIWES unit by its deadline
• Keep photocopies or photos of every form

Frequently asked questions

How much does ITF pay SIWES students per month?

ITF's guidelines set the SIWES student allowance at ₦2,500 per month of training. It is not paid monthly; it is paid as one total after the placement, about ₦15,000 for six months or ₦10,000 for four months.

Is the SIWES allowance ₦30,000 in 2026?

No. We found no official source for a ₦30,000 SIWES allowance. ITF's published rate is ₦2,500 per month, and a September 2026 report still describes the allowance as ₦15,000.

When will I receive my SIWES allowance?

After your training ends and your school sends your logbook and ITF Form 8 to ITF. There is no fixed date. Some students are paid within months, and others wait much longer because of ITF funding delays.

What forms do I need to get paid?

The placement form at the start (SPE-1, or SCAF in ITF's guidelines), a logbook signed weekly, ITF Form 8 at the end, your technical report, and any e-payment form your school requires.

Who do I contact if my allowance has not been paid?

Start with your school's SIWES unit, which tracks what it submitted. If it confirms everything was sent, it can follow up with the ITF Area Office that covers your institution.

Does a virtual or remote SIWES placement affect the allowance?

The allowance depends on your school accepting the placement and the forms being filed correctly and on time. Confirm with your SIWES coordinator that your school accepts the host before you start. Our Virtual SIWES guide explains how remote placements work.

Learn more

Read everything you need to know about SIWES, see the logbook mistakes that delay students, or explore our SIWES programme, which places students at campuses across Nigeria.