The Director General of the Industrial Training Fund, Afiz
Oluwatoyin, gave the warning at the graduation and distribution of start-up
packs to 190 beneficiaries of the NISD
on Thursday in Abuja.
The event was in collaboration with the Nigerian Breweries
Company.
The beneficiaries comprising of youths and women were
empowered with skills in Solar Power Installation, POP and painting, amongst
others.
Oluwatoyin, represented by the Director of the Technical and
Vocational Skills Training Development Department James Abimbola, said the 2023
graduation is a transformative brainchild of the ITF that is implemented to
fast-track the achievement of the Federal Government’s policy on job and wealth
creation and tackling of unemployment and poverty in the country.
He said, “To my esteemed graduates, I wish to use this
opportunity to urge you to resolve to utilise the opportunity provided by this
training to make a decent living for yourselves and your families and be good
ambassadors of the ITF.
“Do not consider selling the start-up packs that will be
presented to you as it is your ticket to the world and an opportunity for you
to contribute meaningfully to the Nigerian economy.”
Speaking further, the DG indicated plans to reform and
modernise its training operations and facilitate human capital development in
line with emerging global trends.
He said though the fund has achieved significant progress in
training women and youths, there is a need to expand its mandate through the
utilisation of modern technology and the enthronement of a new culture that
will lead to the emergence of Nigeria as a country with the most skilled
persons in Africa.
According to him, this mandate of human capital development
will develop numerous skills intervention programmes aimed at tackling
unemployment and poverty, promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship while
reducing youth restiveness in the country.
Oluwatoyin said, “The National Industrial Skills Development
Programme, which graduation is taking place today, is a transformative
brainchild of the ITF that is implemented to fast-track the achievement of the
Federal Government policy on job and wealth creation. It focuses on skills
acquisition to create jobs to curb the rampant unemployment situation in the
country and breed a new generation of entrepreneurs to transform the economic
landscape of the country. I have been informed that since its inception, the
NISDP has equipped over 500,000 Nigerians nationwide with cutting-edge skills
in various trades.
“Although the ITF has achieved a lot in over half a century
of existence, the organisation in my opinion requires a new direction and focus
for the policies and goals of the Tinubu administration to be achieved. You may
recall that during my assumption of office, I had emphasized the need for the
ITF to become a catalyst for National growth by deepening its activities and
their impact on the National economy through the expansion of access both
locally and internationally to our unique resources and internal competencies.
“I hope to do this through the utilisation of modern
technology and the enthronement of a new culture that will lead to the
emergence of Nigeria as a country with the most skilled persons in Africa. In
the next few weeks, we will unveil a comprehensive vision of what the ITF of
the future will look like. In the interim, plans are in motion to fully execute
all targets of the Fund as set by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and
Investment especially as they relate to the National Artisan Registration and
Development Programme.”
He further stated that a steering committee has been
inaugurated to develop the requisite framework to identify tools and facilities
for skills upgrading of artisans and enforcement of artisans’ licensing and
certification across the country.