The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Otunba Richard Adeniyi has urged the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and other sister agencies to show more commitment to the training and retraining of Nigerians, especially youths so as to bridge the gap of unemployment in the country.
He also advised them to strive to grow the national economy and resolve other challenges that are currently confronting the country through performing their constitutional duties.
According to the minister, the need to urgently address the rising tide of unemployment and poverty in the country is of great concern to the Federal Government, adding that it is in this regard that the Federal Government recently unveiled several initiatives, including the National Development Plan (NDP), 2021-2025.
Otunba Adeniyi stated this at the end-of-the-year performance review for 2021 with the theme “Actualising the ITF Mandate in a VUCA World” in Jos yesterday.
He pointed out that the government believes that for these programmes to be fully achieved, organisations such as the ITF have a vital role to play, especially in the area of human capital development.
However, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the ITF Mr. Joseph Ari said over N1.195 billion was paid last year as students’ industrial works experience scheme as SIWES students supervisory allowances.
According to the D-G, a breakdown of this figure shows that over N961 million was paid to 64, 124 university undergraduates while over N162 million was paid to 16, 292 Polytechnic students and the sum of over N71 million was paid to 7,121 students of colleges of education.
He assured Nigerians of the fund’s continuous commitment to promote payment of students’ and supervisors’ allowances as soon as money is received from the Federal Government.
Ari also commended the National Assembly for the bold step taken to commence legislative processes for the inclusion of Technical and Vocational Education Training in Nigeria school curricular.
According to him, the step was a right move as it will expose Nigerians to hands-on skills at an early age and thereby eliminate existing prejudices against TVET and the perception of technical skills as a preserve for some classes of our society.
Ari also explained that, he is pleased to note that stakeholders are steadily keying into their advocacy for emphasis on skills acquisition as a vehicle and veritable tool for poverty reduction, job creation and overall national growth.
He pointed out that this review meeting is an opportunity for them to reflect on their performances in 2021 to come up with firm strategies to build on last year’s, achievements and draw up programmes of action for 2022 bearing in mind the challenges of COVID-19.
Other factors the D-G said is prevailing government policies/programmes, the political environment and the VUCA world that is replete with a rapid rate of change and the multiplicity of decision factors to which there are no definite answers.
The ITF boss also argued that the fund has performed commendably in all facets of their activities and programmes stressing that for them to live up to the vision of being the foremost skills training development Organisation in Nigeria and one of the best in the world.
In his words: “We shall continue to search for new ways of doing things that will engender growth and greater results that is the true meaning of ideation and innovation.”
He challenged members of staff of the need to change their attitude to work, noting that management appreciates that cases of indiscipline, absenteeism and irregularity at work has greatly reduce in recent years but was quick to add that there is room for improvement.
Ari also commended stakeholders such as state governments, the organised private sector, NGOs that have collaborated with ITF to equip Nigerians with skills for employability and entrepreneurship.
