ITF set to commence screening of artisans for 2026 skill-up programme

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has concluded arrangements for the nationwide screening of shortlisted practising artisans for the 2026 Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) Further Training Programme as part of its sustained commitment to developing a globally competitive workforce.

ITF said the programme is also advancing the Federal Government’s human capital development agenda.

“The screening exercise is designed to, among other things, verify the eligibility and assess the practical experience of shortlisted candidates ahead of their admission into the 2026 training programme.”

According to a statement by the Fund’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Thomas Ngor, the exercise will be conducted in two phases across the country.

“Screening for the Northern Zone, comprising the North-Central, North-West and North-East geopolitical zones, will hold from Tuesday, July 14 to Friday, July 17, 2026, while artisans from the Southern Zone, comprising the South-East, South-West and South-South geopolitical zones, will be screened from Tuesday, July 21 to Friday, July 24, 2026.

“To ensure broad participation and accessibility, the screening will take place simultaneously in the three senatorial districts of each of the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”

Speaking on the exercise in the statement, the Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund, Dr Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, said the decision to focus on practising artisans in this phase of the programme was informed by the urgent need to enhance the quality and competitiveness of Nigerian artisans in line with international best practices.

He noted that many employment opportunities in Nigeria’s artisanal sector were increasingly being filled by foreign workers because many local artisans lacked the contemporary technical skills required by industry.

According to the Director-General, the Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) programme is specifically designed to bridge this gap by equipping Nigerian artisans with modern technical competencies, globally recognised certifications and industry-relevant skills that will enable them to compete successfully within Nigeria and in the international labour market.

Ogun disclosed that the Fund recently concluded the international certification examinations for beneficiaries of the 2025 SUPA programme.

“The examinations, which were supervised by Alberk QA Technic of Türkiye, assessed thousands of artisans across more than 20 high-demand vocational and technical trades using internationally recognised standards.”

He described the successful completion of the certification examinations as another significant milestone in the Federal Government’s drive to produce globally certified artisans capable of meeting the manpower requirements of modern industries.

The Director-General further revealed that the Fund was expanding its partnerships with additional international certification bodies to ensure that Nigerian artisans acquired qualifications that were globally recognised and accepted, thereby improving their employability and mobility across international labour markets.

Ogun also announced that preparations had been concluded for the incubation phase of the 2025 SUPA programme. He explained that the incubation component was designed to provide successful beneficiaries with mentorship, business development support and enterprise incubation services that would enable them to establish sustainable businesses, create employment opportunities and contribute meaningfully to national economic growth.

He reaffirmed that the Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) programme remained one of the Federal Government’s flagship human capital development initiatives being implemented by the Industrial Training Fund to upskill, certify and license Nigerian artisans.

The statement further explained that the Director-General said the programme was strategically positioned to enhance artisans’ productivity and competitiveness, expand employment opportunities in both domestic and international labour markets, and support Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda through the development of a competent, highly skilled and globally competitive workforce.

Ogun, therefore, urged all shortlisted applicants to present themselves for screening at their designated centres on the scheduled dates with all required credentials, as only successful candidates would proceed to the next stage of the programme.