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Tag: Industrial Training Fund

  • ITF DG reiterates plans to equip technical workforce

    ITF DG reiterates plans to equip technical workforce

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has reiterated its plans to equip technicians, an initiative the Fund said is in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

    ITF’s Director General, Dr  Afiz Ogun,  made this known during a visit to the Lanre Shittu Motor (LSM) Assembly plant in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos. He reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to national development through skills acquisition, adding that beyond employment, the organisation is finalising a business incubation structure aimed at supporting entrepreneurship, providing a pathway for trainees to establish their own businesses after completing the programme.

    Ogun said its Skills Upgrading and Professional Advancement (SUPA) programme, introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, aims to enhance workforce capacity by equipping participants with industry-relevant skills.

    According to him, thousands of artisans have benefited from SUPA across sectors, including electrical installation, plumbing, tiling, ICT, fashion design, and project.

    “SUPA goes beyond just providing you with a starter pack. We discovered that giving a starter pack is not enough. At the end of it, it’s like back to square one.

     “The programme focuses on retraining, retooling, and certifying Nigerian artisans to meet international standards, enabling them to compete both locally and globally,” Ogun added.

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    Ogun said to improve the quality of training and empowerment, ITF is collaborating with stakeholders such as LSM, to procure training tools in bulk, ensuring participants have access to modern, industry-standard equipment.

    On the LSM’s deal with ITF, Ogun commended the company for the training put together by the LSM.

    Ogun, who commended the management of LSM for their dedication and collaboration, said ITF is ready to further collaborate with LSM to achieve a further fit.

    “We are very satisfied with what we have seen here  so far. Kudos to Lanre Shittu Assembly Plant. This collaboration reflects ITF’s commitment to bridging Nigeria’s skills gap and fostering economic development by preparing a workforce that meets the demands of various industries.

    Managing Director/CEO, LSM, Taiwo Shittu, who commended President Bola Tinubu for the various initiatives that had energised the auto industry, said the company remained committed to facilitating the growth of the auto industry by collaborating with the ITF in training technicians and providing them with modern tools.

    He said the company has contributed a lot to the economy, especially when it comes to manpower, training and empowerment of artisans, workforce technicians.

    “We have established three training centres in three states for technicians who have passion for automotive development. We equiped the centres with modern facilities and they are well trained for a certain period.

    “After the training, we send them to our customers across the country to service them. We ask them to be employed, accommodated and paid well,” Shittu said.

    He said the deal with the ITF is a great achievement for LSM, adding that this is something that LSM has been longing for.  He expressed gratitude to the ITF for the support and for giving hope to the automotive industry.

  • ITF moves to stop importation of manpower

    ITF moves to stop importation of manpower

    The Director General, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Dr. Oluwatoyin Ogun, has said the time has come for Nigeria to put an end to the importation of manpower under the guise of expatriates.

    The DG made this known at the inauguration of seven-man planning committee for the  forthcoming National Industrial Manpower Summit in Abuja, stating that the move became necessary to ensure that the country’s industrial rise is not only powered by infrastructure and policy but also by people skilled, equipped and globally competitive.

    He assured that the ITF would continue to strengthen human capacity development in the country through its training programmes, stating that the ITF has been given the mandate by President Bola Tinubu to retrain Nigerian artisans towards meeting international standard which the organisation is presently doing with the Skilled-Up Artisans, (SUPA), programme.

    “I am calling on stakeholders to support the initiative in repositioning the nation’s economy and human capacity development. The SUPA programme is to actualise the aims and objectives of the summit which will provide clarity, understanding and action plan for a country that is serious about development knowing that we cannot talk about industrialization and economic development without human capacity development.

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    The Minister of State, Industry Trade and Investment,  Senator John Enoh noted that the initiative marks a defining step towards unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s industrial transformation through one of its most vital levers- human capital development.

    He added that it signals the country’s collective resolve to ensure the ministry  remains resolute in its mandate to position Nigeria as a leading hub of industrial excellence on the continent,  as its reform efforts are focused on removing structural bottlenecks, attracting investment, and expanding value- added production.

  • ITF to end starter pack programme, focus on global job certifications

    ITF to end starter pack programme, focus on global job certifications

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has announced it will discontinue the distribution of starter packs to graduates of its skills training programs, shifting focus towards equipping them with local and international certifications for opportunities in the global job market.

    This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Director-General, Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, who revealed that with the commencement of the SUPA Phase II deployment and training process, the agency plans to increase the number of privately owned training centers from 880 to 1,500 nationwide.

    He said, “As graduates of the Skill Up Artisans, SUPA programme, they will earn local and international certification, graduates will also benefit from the ITF business incubation programmes. This is to also enable them achieve the target of graduating 100,000 (One Hundred Thousand) artisans in this phase.

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    “The figure of 100,000 (One Hundred Thousand) artisans will be drawn from the 29,000 that graduated from SUPA Foundation program (Phase I) last year and from the pool of over 700,000 (Seven Hundred Thousand) registered artisans on its SUPA platform. This population is scattered across every local government area in Nigeria, it is necessary to have at least 2 training centers per local government to guarantee ease of access by artisans. 

    “The training center accreditation process is a comprehensive process that involves the examination of corporate structure of Training Centers, evaluation of their physical infrastructure and set-up, appraisal of their training equipment and assessment of competence,qualifications of their instructors. Each Training Center is required to firstly register on the SUPA platform of the ITF”.

    The DG added that, upon completion of this accreditation process, the Fund will publish the list of successful training centers based on their categorizations in categories “A”, “B” and “C”. Thereafter, the Fund will begin the process of notifying artisans of their deployment to the various accredited training centers based on proximity to their disclosed residential address.

    That exercise he said will commence and end before April 30, 2025. 

    The Fund would make significant investments in improving the capacities of accredited training centers to meet the target of SUPA which is international certification. 

    Over 3000 (Three Thousand) instructors from the 880 (Eight Hundred and Eighty) accredited training centers have undergone train-the-trainer courses. 

  • 510 firms get ITF’s N6 billion reimbursement

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) paid over N6 billion as reimbursement to 510 firms in 2018, its Director-General (DG), Sir Joseph Ari.

    A breakdown of this payment include full payment for training of workforce across all cadres, acceptance of students on (Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme) SIWES.

    Speaking with The Nation, Sir Joseph, said the payment was the biggest in one year since ITF was established in 1971, adding that it is a demonstration of its commitment to reimburse its contributors.

    Ari said ITF has, within the last two years, trained and equipped over 450,000 youths on various skills acquisition programmes, through the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP).

    He said the commitment of ITF to skills acquisition was based on the fact that the Fund is the most sustainable solution to combating unemployment, reducing poverty and youth restiveness.

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    “The situation is especially worrisome, as, even in the face of vacancies in several sectors of the National economy – as revealed by surveys conducted by ITF and other organisations – youths roam the streets without any form of gainful employment, giving rise to crimes and other social vices that have beset our dear nation.

    “It is a narrative that we are determined to change by supporting the Federal Government and the states by initiating consequential skills acquisition programmes,” he said.

    He said the trainees of the phase  last year, was completed before the 2019 general elections, trained over 11,000 Nigerians in various trade areas, including welding and fibrillation, plumbing and pipe-fitting, tailoring, aluminum fibrillation and insulation, tiling, Plaster of Paris (POP) as well as photography.

    The DG said further surveys revealed that in all cases, where the trainees were provided with the kits, over 90 percent earned resealable livelihood as entrepreneurs, saying training them without equipment defeats the core objectives of the programme and the policy of the administration to create wealth and grow the economy.

  • Industrial Training Fund trains 700 youths in ICT

    THE Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has started training 700 youths in Information and Technology (ICT) under its Infotech Skills Empowerment Programme (ISEP).

    The programme, which is in its first phase, had youths from six states: Plateau, Bauchi, Imo, Ondo, Kaduna, Cross River and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    ITF Director-General Sir Joseph Ari disclosed this during a visit to an ITF centre in Bauchi State. He said beneficiaries would receive specialised skills in computer hardware maintenance, advanced computer networking and computer networking.

    Of the objectives of the programme, he said it would produce  certified professionals that would  bridge the ICT skills gap, prepare  youths  for job and wealth creation, stimulate growth, promote entrepreneurship and self-employability and reduce youth restiveness.

    Ari said unlike the Fund’s other intervention programmes that are targeted at a broader segment of Nigerians, ISEP is restricted to holders of the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and above.

    He said Computer Hardware and Maintenance (A+) and Computer Networking (M+) trainees were required to hold an OND, while beneficiaries of Advanced Computer Networking (CCNA) were to have the Higher National Diploma (HND) or its equivalent.

    Ari said the ITF would pay each trainee a monthly stipend of N5,000 during the three-month training, adding that successful participants would get start-up packs to set up their own business.

    He added that to enhance participants’ employability, the trainees would be enrolled for professional exams, such as the CISCO, CompTia A+, CompTia N+ and CCNA.

    He charged participants to take the programme serious, warning that only those tho completed the course work, achieved at least 70 per cent attendance and had above 80 per cent in the final exams, would graduate.

    He said ISEP was ITF’s commitment to boosting job creation, adding that it trained 450,000 last year.

    Responding on behalf of the trainees, Abdullahi Yusuf, lauded the ITF for its strides in entrepreneurship and employability.

    He said ISEP was a laudable initiative, especially for graduates seeking jobs, pledging that the Bauchi centre would make the best of the opportunity given them.

  • ‘How to end building collapse in Niger Delta’

    In the crude oil and gas-rich Niger Delta and other parts of Nigeria buildings still collapse.

    Experts insist that with the right mix of cement with other components to produce standard vibrated blocks and concrete; the use of high quality cement and other building materials, an end to the ugly phenomenon will be realised. They also maintain that the menace has led to the loss of lives of many innocent persons and property worth billions of naira lost.

    While speaking at the third BUA Cement’s workshop for stakeholders in Port Harcourt, Rivers State penultimate week, the Regional Coordinator, South-south of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Alhaji Abubakar Babaji, stated that it would be impossible to talk about quality, without considering standards. He urged the stakeholders to always place emphasis on training and retraining.

    The workshop, which was aimed at reducing building collapse in the country, had as its theme “Optimising Cement Usage to Achieve Better Quality and Yields of Block,” and was organised in collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and SON.

    Some top officials of Obu Cement Company Limited, makers of BUA Cement attended the workshop from the Okpella, Edo State base.

    Present at the event were Area Manager/Deputy Director, ITF, Port Harcourt, Iwunze Amaka; General Manager, Sales and Marketing, BUA Cement, Nasiru Ladan; Quality Control Manager, BUA Cement, Adeyinka Adesola; Terminal Manager, BUA Ports and Terminals, Rasheed Ogunade and Regional Manager, BUA Cement, Abiola Akarolo.

    At the end of the workshop, blocks and concrete makers were presented with BUA Cement’s branded working equipment.

    Alhaji Babaji said: “Block is not the only component of building. We also have iron rods, cement and water, among others. Water for construction and block making must be clean, just like the drinking water. If you use salty water, it may cause problems. Not only blocks are responsible for collapse of buildings, but they contribute. Standard is about minimum requirement. Block makers must always follow the standard.

    “SON encourages businesses to grow by reducing charges to industries. This is because we want to encourage them to work, since we are not after revenue. We want to serve the nation by ensuring that standards are maintained. We place more emphasis on sensitisation/correction than clamping down on individuals or organisations that refuse to adhere to standards. We do not like to destroy products, but we do not compromise on adherence to standards.”

    Babaji also admonished Nigerians to always engage professionals in construction works and never to patronise quacks to avoid building collapse, stressing that vibrated blocks are much better that hand-made ones.

    Also speaking, SON’s Head of Civil and Building Construction Department, Mrs. Edith Fiberesima advised that blocks should not be moulded at the mercy of the sun, but under shade, with water to be sprayed on moulded blocks the next morning, in order to harden properly.

    While speaking at the workshop, Ladan pledged the commitment of BUA in producing high quality cement, which he said would help to achieve better quality of blocks and other products.

    He said: “Port Harcourt has always been our home. We began from here and we became popular, strictly because of the quality of BUA Cement. It is one thing to have good cement; it is another to mix it properly in combination with other materials.

    “With the issue of building collapse in Nigeria, various researches show that it is as a result of either not using the right cement or bad mix. So, we are here to let the block makers know the right mix of cement with the right materials to produce the highest quality blocks for public use. When good blocks and concrete are produced, the issue of building collapse would have been properly addressed.

    “Currently, we are at the verge of completing our second line in Okpella, Edo State. With the second line operational, you are assured that there will be increase in cement production and supply to Rivers State and other neighbouring states, to satisfy the demands of the people.”

    Ladan also described BUA Cement as the king of strength/the king of cement, which according to him, sets faster with unsurpassed yield.

    Ladan noted that regular workshops and interactions were not only with the block makers, but distributors and retailers of BUA Cement also benefiting. This, he said, is to ensure adherence to standard and quality. He described competition as the beauty of any business, with open market to benefit all the stakeholders, while the producers of cement would always give the best to the end users in terms of quality, price and distribution. He added: “The more competition you have, the better for the general public and the economy.”

    The general manager also identified electricity and transportation as major challenges facing the cement industry. He, however, maintained that the quality of BUA Cement is exceptional.

    Also speaking, the Quality Control Manager of BUA Cement, Adesola, revealed that the unique selling point of BUA Cement is its quality. He warned that the sand for block making must not be clay, dirty and should not have organic matter; clean water should also be used, adding that if hollowed block is too thin, it might lead to building collapse. He recommended standard moulds.

    Area Manager of ITF noted that the agency was established in 1971 by the regime of Gen. Yakubu Gowon to train Nigerians in order to be able to take over the mantle of leadership, particularly for capacity building.

    Amaka also urged Nigerian leaders to always follow their words with actions, even as she called on the people to embrace change, since the world is now a global village.

    The Head of Accounts of ITF, Kennedy Odisika, called on Nigerians to always insist on high quality, saying: “The first enemy of your business is your lifestyle. If you are not disciplined, nothing works. You must have passion for your business. Consider your attitude to your customers. No worker is too bad that you cannot manage.”

    A seller of cement/block maker, Mr. Christopher Okoro, said BUA Cement is the best as he has used it for many years.

    Another block maker, Mrs. Blessing Eke, described the event as rewarding, even as she suggested that it should be held regularly.

  • Bridging the skills gap

    ONE of Nigeria’s most persistent paradoxes is the scarcity of technicians and artisans even as the country struggles with unemployment rates of 18.8 per cent, with 33.1 per cent of its youth jobless.

    An assessment of the country’s skills gap conducted in April by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the United Nations Industrial Organisation (UNIDO) found that Nigeria lacked no less than 925 trade skills, resulting in unfilled vacancies in major sectors of the economy.

    Vacancies in the housing sector stood at 19.7 per cent. It was 11.9 per cent in the auto industry, 10.3 per cent in textiles, and 10.1 per cent in steel. The service sector had a vacancy rate of 8.9 per cent, while the leather goods sub-sector had 3.3 per cent.

    Jobs in these sectors cannot be filled because prospective employees lacked technical skills (15.7 per cent), basic information technology skills (11.8 per cent), and advanced IT skills (9.2 per cent). The absence of requisite soft skills accounted for between 9.2 per cent and 7.5 per cent of vacancies.

    These grim statistics confirm the long-held suspicion that Nigeria’s emphasis on paper qualifications rather than focused training and apprenticeship schemes has been detrimental to economic growth and social cohesion. In a country where every secondary school leaver aspires to go to university, it cannot be a surprise that there is a dearth of the craftsmen, artisans and technicians that are vital to keeping a modern economy running.

    Successive state and federal governments have neglected vocational training and allowed unregulated apprenticeships to become dominant. Established certification systems like City and Guilds have diminished in importance in comparison to the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE), the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    The social esteem in which non-university graduates are held is relatively low, regardless of their earnings. Automotive mechanics, in particular, are almost universally disparaged, in spite of the critical importance of the services they render. Electricians, masons and carpenters suffer similar indignities, even though their skills are in perpetual demand.

    The result is that Nigeria has become a country where talented craftsmen, artisans and technicians are virtually worth their weight in gold, such is the high demand for their services. There are very few Nigerians who have not endured the depredations of incompetent artisans, and thus tend to value effective ones very highly. But such is the paucity of skilled workers that construction and other companies are compelled to obtain them from neighbouring West African countries at great expense.

    The consequences are palpable: the nation’s streets are full of abandoned vehicles that have become unserviceable; decrepit roads, gutters, pavements and buildings testify to the enthronement of mediocrity and incompetence; citizens continue to suffer injury and even death because the electricians, mechanics, plumbers and welders they relied upon simply did not know what they were doing.

    To further worsen an already-bad situation, the shortfall in technical and vocational workers has prevented the country’s economy from attaining its full potential. Nigeria’s notoriously poor maintenance culture is in part due to the absence of well-trained technicians who would ensure that power plants, water works and other infrastructure are performing at optimal levels. The small-scale enterprises that are vital to increased employment depend heavily on artisans and technicians. The innovations and research breakthroughs developed in the country’s universities are often stymied by the lack of a critical mass of technicians able to put them into effect.

    The most deleterious effect of the chronic skills shortage is its impact upon unemployment. As more young citizens pour into the labour market in search of jobs, their inability to find work has resulted in increased crime rates, especially in advance-fee fraud, armed robbery, kidnapping and human trafficking. Sustained periods of enforced idleness have facilitated drug abuse and the involvement of youths in political thuggery and terrorism.

    No nation prospers without mid-level technical and vocational manpower, as it is the critical link between the technocrats and the implementation of policy. Vocational education must be given greater importance in Nigeria’s educational system, particularly at the primary and secondary school levels. More vocational and technical institutes must be built, so that viable options exist for those unable to get into tertiary institutions. There should be better monitoring of the nation’s skills needs and increased encouragement for citizens willing to be re-trained for new professions.

  • ‘Nigeria can attract investments by exporting skills’

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has described the skills gap in the country as a serious problem, saying the country could attract huge foreign investments by exporting skills.

    Speaking at the ITF 50th Human Resources Development Series in Lagos, its Director-General, Mr. Joseph Ari, stressed the need for the collaboration of the federal, state and local governments and the private sector in a bid to bridge the skills gap and tackle the high unemployment rate in the country.

    Ari, represented by the Director Information and Communication Technology, Mr. Dickson Onuoha, said ITF had developed a blueprint known as the ‘ITF Reviewed Vision’ to actualise the Fund’s mandate.

    Citing statistics, he said by 2050, the nation’s population would grow to 500 million, adding, “That will mean that we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder unless something fast is done in developing the human capacity.”

    Ari, however, said conversely, if such human capital is developed, Nigeria can export skills to the rest of the world and thereby grow her Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). He said herein lies the critical role of the ITF.

    “You can imagine if we export skills, Nigerians will be everywhere in the world, and you can imagine the kind of investments that will come in here in foreign currencies. That will be huge. Oil will be in the second place with the kind of population we have,” the ITF DG said.

    According to him, the direction of the blueprint, which has been presented to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, was in alignment with the Federal Government’s policy of social, economic diversification and industrialisation policy.

    Ari said the ITF also decided to work with the umbrella body of the organised private sector, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) to get its buy-in and form a partnership that would be strategic for instilling skills in people.

  • ITF trains 11,000 youths

    ITF trains 11,000 youths

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has trained 11,000 youths in job skills under the Fund’s  National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), a nationwide plan.

    The Director-General of ITF, Sir Joseph Ari said the 11,000 youths were trained for three months in tailoring and fashion design, welding and fabrication and plumbing and pipe-fitting.

    He added that they would be given start-up kits to enable them set up their businesses.

    “The three trades were carefully selected based on their potential value addition to the individual trainees and to the growth and development of the economy.

    “The start-up packs that are being distributed should be viewed as our practical example and message to our stakeholders that training without corresponding support will not lead to expected outcomes.”

    The D-G, who was represented by the Director, Research and Curriculum Development, Mr. Zakari Peruma, stated that the current universal currency is skills which a lot of youths should make an effort in getting it and stop depending on the government to provide jobs for them.

    He added that the ITF will be implementing Technical Skills Development Projects, Women Skills Empowerment Programme and Agripreneur that will be targeted at job and wealth creation.

    The DG urged the beneficiaries not to sell the start-up packs given to them saying, “The start-up packs to be presented to you are of high standard and therefore cost ITF several millions of naira to procure. Do not contemplate selling any of the items presented to you. Your destiny is in your own hands, do not toy with it.”

    The Niger State Area Manager, Mrs. Ifeoma  Ihezue said 300 youths were trained in the state, “150 were trained in tailoring, 70 in welding and fabrication and 80 in plumbing and pipe-fitting.”

    The Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youths, Alhaji Husseni Ahmed urged the ITF to step up its monitoring and evaluation to ensure that the youths make good use of the training given to them and do not sell the start-up packs.

  • ITF boss denies illegal recruitment

    The Directed General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Joseph Ari has denied making illegal recruitment into the organisation since he took over the helms of affairs at the Fund.

    Ari, who spoke with the Husaini Abubakar-led House of Representatives Committee on Industry over the weekend, said the organisation is however on the verge of recruiting a number of Nigerians having met all the requisite conditions for the exercise.

    Abubakar had during ITF’s defense of 2017 budget implementation, confronted Ari with allegations of illegal recruitment into the agency, saying, “Since this management came on board, we have not recruited a single soul. However, we met challenges on ground where letters of appointment were issued in 2015 and these Nigerians resumed, files were opened for them and were working up to the time we took over but there was no budgetary provision to pay them.”If we send them out of the system as Nigerians, who started work since 2015, they will take us to court  and they are right because we gave them letters, they resumed, they worked for one year and it wasn’t their fault that there was no budgetary provision to pay them.”

    Having accepted the explanation given by the DG, the Committee nonetheless asked when the agency intends to recruit to bolster its workforce, “Since you are spread out in the 36 states of the federation and you have so many turnovers in terms of staff. Are you delivering your mandate as you are expected to do as contained in your establishment Act?”

    In response, Ari expressed fears over the imminent recruitment exercise saying, “As soon as we came in, we carried out a verification exercise on those that came in 2014, 2015 to identify the need-based staff, the report has been turned in.”

    However, we are using this opportunity to solicit the support of this committee because it would appear that every household in Nigeria has application in ITF and that will also constitutes huge distraction and challenges when the time comes but we are putting the process in motion.

    For 2018, the agency is proposing a budget of N37.7b for its Income, N35b for Training Fund which was lower by N5b compared to N40b for 2017 while N1.395b was proposed for course fees.

    While N32.2b was proposed for recurrent expenditure, N4.9b was proposed for capital projects.