Tertiary institutions, students responsible for non-payment of SIWES stipends —ITF

Tertiary Institutions and her students, have been blamed by the Industrial Training Funds (ITF), over the non-payment of the stipends for students who embark on Students Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), on yearly basis.

SIWES was established in 1973 by the ITF, to train and expose students of tertiary institutions to practical knowledge of their classroom work, and earmarked stipends for such category of students.

The Area Manager of ITF in Nasarawa State, Zakari Baba Sabo made the statement on Tuesday, in Lafia, at an interactive forum with stakeholders of the fund.

He explained that, most tertiary institutions are yet to compile a comprehensive list of the students who embarked on the training, and send to their various regulatory bodies for onward forwarding to the fund, to enable them effect payment.

Sabo also explained that, some students also submitted wrong account details to their various institutions, which places the board in disadvantaged position to effect payment.

“This is a very serious issue, because most students give out their parents account numbers for us to pay them, which is not possible to pay such people. And some institutions are yet to submit the data of their students for onward payment,” he lamented.

The Area Manager also told stakeholders at the forum, that the fund has introduced the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), to provide technical and vocational skills required to drive the Nigerian industrial revolution plan.

He said that “over 74,000 Nigerians have benefited from the program. This year is the 5th phase of the programme and 500 youth of Nasarawa State have undergone training in various trade areas, including trilling and interlocking, pop, pastries/banking, shoes making and soap making.”

He further said that the forum is a yearly program by ITF, where stakeholders share ideas on how to move the fund forward.