Seriki Adinoyi
The federal government has hailed the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), describing it as one agency that is helping the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari to achieve its policy objectives.
Disclosing this in Jos on Friday afternoon, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo observed that a huge 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 actualised.”
The minister, who was in Jos to commission a modern E-Library complex, a central store, and additional 32-room block at the ITF Staff School, said it was for the laudable mandate of the Fund that 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.
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 direct impact on the life of Nigerians thrive.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Plateau state, Simon Lalong, who also congratulated the ITF on its giant strides in providing engagements for the teeming unemployed Nigerians, acknowledged that his state had benefitted tremendously from the ITF. He also hailed the efforts of the Director General of the Fund, Sir Joseph Ari.
Lalong said: “His efforts 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.
“Here in Plateau State, particularly since the assumption of Sir Joseph Ari as DG, our people have 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.
“Most of the beneficiaries are today either earning a living in paid employment, or are successful entrepreneurs who are employing others. 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.”
Earlier, Ari who extensively spoke on the benefits of the library said that the facility has CBT centre that will be serving for JAMB examination. He added that the projects will collectively among other things, build a seamless organization which is people centred and technology driven, motivating the workforce towards self-development, career growth and job satisfaction, and also address service delivery challenges as the fund will provide cutting-edge services to the doorsteps of Nigerians across the country.
