The Director-General Industrial Training Fund ITF, Sir Joseph Ari has declared that, until most Nigerians are equipped with competitive technical skills, the country will continue to fight a losing battle against the blights of poverty and unemployment, their attendance consequences.
Even as he stated that a total of N3.7 billion was paid to 325 companies as reimbursement for the year 2019.
Sir Ari who made the declaration on Wednesday during a briefing on the activities of the organisation said the belief of the ITF was inspired by the success stories from countries like Japan, Germany, Vietnam, Singapore and Brazil that transformed into industrial power-houses using technical skills acquisition adding, that Nigeria can do the same.
He also disclosed that ITF was among the few Agencies requested by the Federal Government to forward submissions on lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
“If our proposal, which is currently receiving the attention of the authorities is assented to, the ITF will train over 7million Nigerians in the Agriculture, Construction and Facility Maintenance, Information and Communication Technology, Manufacturing and Services sectors between 2021 and 2031,” he said.
The Director-General added that the ITF has also entered into partnership and collaboration with local and international organisations as part of the efforts to equip Nigerians with requisite skills.
He said, “currently the ITF is in partnership with SENAI of Brazil, Institute of Technical Education Services (ITEES) of Singapore, Galilee International Management Institute (GIMI) in Isreal, International Labour Organisation (ILO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Agency (NECA), Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Bank of Industry (BoI), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) amongst others.”
He further disclosed that ITF in 2020 equally entered into an MoU with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), for up-skilling of serving Corps members adding that the partnership with the NYSC is very strategic in view of dwindling opportunities for white-collar jobs.
“We believe that equipping corps members with technical skills will prepare them for self-reliance after NYSC. The Fund also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD) to train 23,130 youths in the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT under the Ministry of Youth Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Programme (YOSDEP), in 22 trade areas.”
The Director-General who said ITF paid a total sum of N3.7 billion to 325 Companies as reimbursement for the year 2019 added that ITF organised several reimbursement workshops to appraise employers of labour on the process involved in the Reimbursement Scheme
On the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), he pointed out ITF ensured the payment of students and supervisory allowances adding that a total sum of N632,935,000.00 was paid as students allowance while N77,718,750.00 was paid as supervisory allowance between January 2020 and June 2020.
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Nigeria needs requisite technical skills ; Nigeria needs requisite technical skills ; Nigeria needs requisite technical skills