Seriki Adinoyi in Jos
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has graduated 285 Plateau youths, who had undergone training on solar power installation, aluminum fabrication, tiling, laying of interlocking blocks, integrated farming among others.
Handing start-up packs to the youths during their graduation ceremony in Jos, yesterday, the Director General of ITF, Joseph Ari, said he was sure that given the intensity and the very practical nature of the three-month training, which was 80 per cent practical and 20 per cent theory, they were equipped with the necessary skills and attitudes for them to thrive as employees or as entrepreneurs.
“When tied with the trades, which were chosen after careful and in-depth need analysis of their locales, we have no doubt they will thrive, as the trades they have learned will always be needed,” he reassured.
He added that the commitment of the Fund to skills acquisition was premised on the fact that it remains the most viable and sustainable solution to rising unemployment and poverty that have continued to defy the best efforts of governmental and non-governmental approaches.
Ari said, “Indeed, there are countless reasons for us to worry as Government, and as institutions vested with the arduous task of equipping Nigerians with the life skills for employability and entrepreneurship.
“Given the booming population of Nigeria, which in the next few years will place the country as the third most populous nation on earth and the fact that the population is largely comprised of youths, there is the need to step up efforts in equipping them with life skills.”
Thanking the Minister for Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo, for the immense support the Fund has enjoyed from the federal government, the Director General appealed to state governments, Organised Private Sector (OPS), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), Faith-Based Organisations, Politicians and other stakeholders to collaborate with the ITF in its efforts to training Nigerians.
He said, “It could be by way of sponsorship of additional trainees for our various skills programmes, or by buying start-up packs for beneficiaries of the programmes. Only through such collaborations will the Fund be able to train as many youths to impact the Nigerian environment.
“I will also urge the beneficiaries, who will be presented with start-up packs shortly, to resolve to utilise the opportunity provided by this training. You should consider the start-up packs as your ticket to the world and an opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the Nigerian economy.”
In his remarks. Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong said the ITF has become a dependable ally and a strong partner to the state government in strengthening the gross income of the state, adding that the fund also complements the efforts of sustainable development goals agencies.
Represented by his deputy, Prof. Sonny Tyoden, the governor said ITF skill intervention programmes have trained over 500,000 Nigerians since inception, and that has helped reduce rate of poverty and unemployment drastically. He charged the trainees to put the skills into proper use and told them not to attempt selling off their start-up packs no matter the pressure on them.
