The Federal Government (FG) has described the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) as one agency that is helping the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari to achieve its policy objectives.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo who disclosed this on Friday at the commissioning of e-library complex and Central store at the ITF headquarters in Jos, Plateau State observed that a hug number of Nigerians are unemployed and are in poverty.
“As a consequence of this, the country has witnessed a rise in insecurity and other social vices. In the face of the absence of white-collar jobs, the only feasible alternative is for organisations like the ITF to ensure that their mandates are fully actualized,” he said.
Otunba Adebayo said he was gratified about the modern library, which according to him will enhance the staff of the fund to effectively carry out the mandate of equipping Nigerians with requisite skills for employability and entrepreneurship.
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He assured that the Federal Government will continue to put such policies in place that will ensure that organisations like the ITF whose activities have a direct impact on the life of Nigerians thrive.
In his address Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong said efforts of the ITF have led to the empowerment of thousands of Nigerian youths with cutting-edge skills for entrepreneurship and employability in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s policy on poverty eradication and wealth creation.
The governor said Plateau State in particular since the assumption of Sir Joseph Ari as DG has benefited from several phases of the Fund’s flagship skills acquisition programmes such as the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), where over 1000 Plateau citizens were empowerment with skills and start-up kits.
He pointed out that most of the beneficiaries were either earning a living in paid employment, it were successful entrepreneurs who are employing others adding that because of the impact of the NISDP, the State Government sponsored additional number of trainees for the programme.
“We shall continue to sponsor such additional numbers for your programmes because I am convinced that skills acquisition is the way to go. We are seeing the results and the multiplier effect is evident.
“Similarly, our State is also one of the few, whose indigenes have benefitted from the Women Skills Empowerment Programme (WOSEP) that trained and empowered indigent women, who are today either employed or running their businesses. Again, the State sponsored additional trainees and equally gave all the beneficiaries start-up packs” he said