The joy of three apprentice seamstresses in Jos, the Plateau State capital, sponsored by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), captures the relief of thousands of youths who now run their own businesses after their training by the organisation. YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU reports
Three seamstress apprentices, Salamatu Ikubaiyeje, Mariam Muktar and Hannah Meriga looked happy with themselves when The Nation met them in Jos, the Plateau State capital. They were learning to design and make garments and looked forward to the end of their apprenticeship and the beginning of a new life as entrepreneurs. The Industrial Training Fund or ITF paid for their training and they are very grateful for that gesture, they said, adding that they were eager to join the others who have completed their training and become entrepreneurs. They were referring to over 100,000 youths trained and equipped since last year by the ITF across the country.
ITF Director-General Joseph Ari released the figure of the trained youths, adding that they were the ones who were trained over a year ago.
Founded on October 8, 1971, the ITF, a Grade A parastatal of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, is in the heart of the federal government’s jobs and industrialisation policy. It offers training in skills in industries and commerce with a view to generating a pool of indigenous trained manpower sufficient to meet the needs of the national economy; provide training for skills in management for technical and entrepreneurship development in the public and private sectors of the economy; set training standards in all sectors of the economy and monitor adherence; evaluate and certify vocational skills acquired by apprentices, craftsmen and technicians in collaboration with relevant organisations; and administer the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).
It has equipped over 20 million Nigerians with skills in various trades and crafts that have contributed tremendously to national growth and development, Sir Joseph, a knight of St. Mulumba, said.
On taking office, President Muhammadu Buhari turned to the ITF to help the administration achieve its economic diversification agenda by, among other things, driving the job creation plan. To meet the obligations, the ITF in 2016 reviewed its activities. The Fund’s plan tagged: The ITF Reviewed Vision: Strategies for Mandate Actualisation, contained its blueprint involving a 10-year strategic plan and a four-year roadmap. The six-year plan, which started in late 2016 and will terminate in 2022, was designed to aggressively address service challenges, infrastructure deficits and revenue, among others. It was captured in quick-wins, medium and long-term goals, with strategies and firm timelines.
Under the quick-win plan, the ITF would implement strategies that will immediately boost job creation, reduce poverty and create wealth. It also involves agriculture, a key component of the economic diversification agenda, paying close attention to fish farming, poultry production, crop production, mechanised agriculture, agric-business and post-harvest management, manure production, farm management and water resource management.
The Fund has started training 17,000 unemployed youths using its Industrial Skills Training Centre (ISTC) in Kano and the Centre for Excellence in Jos, and undeveloped lands owned by the ITF in some states for the establishment of demonstration farms. The organisation has also stepped up efforts to acquire land in eight states – Anambra, Benue, Kano, Plateau, Gombe, Oyo, Ogun and Niger- for the same purpose. The Fund is also actively seeking collaboration with state Ministries of Agriculture, and existing local farmers, farmers’ associations like Fadama Project for farm equipment, seedlings and capacity building and is also exploring the possibility of financial grants from International and Local Agencies including Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Bank of Industry (BoI), among others. Already, agreements have been entered into with the Galilee International Management Institute (GIMI) of the State of Israel for the training of the internal workforce to actualise the agripreneurship programme.
The Fund is training youths in welding and fabrication, metal works, domestic electrical installation, carpentry and joinery, tiling, masonry, block and brickmaking, plumbing and pipe fitting, and Plaster of Paris (POP).
At the flag-off of the National Industrial Skill Development Programme (NISDP) in Gombe State last month, Sir Joseph, “Since the inauguration of the NISD programme last year, over 100,000 Nigerians have been trained in over 30 trades and crafts. Most of the beneficiaries of the programme are today gainfully employed or very successful entrepreneurs. This phase of the programme will train 11,000 Nigerians nationwide. In Gombe State, the programme will equip 300 youths aged between 18 and 35 years, with skills. It is noteworthy that the selected trades and craft namely: welding and fabrication, tailoring and fashion design and plumbing and pipe fitting- were chosen based on the fact that these trades are lacking in the Nigerian economy and we have consistently brought in foreign nationals from neighbouring countries to do these jobs. This is not acceptable. We also worked at the projected value addition to the beneficiaries and their potentialities to provide sustainable means of livelihood for the trainees on graduation”.
This year, the ITF will train 18,500 Nigerians in vocational trades and crafts using the Fund’s Industrial Skills Training Centres (ISTCs) and selected satellite centres. To ensure achievement of these targets, the Fund has entered into collaboration with agencies and organisations like Cement Technology Institute of Nigeria (CTIN), Nigerian Institute of Builders (NIoB), Julius Berger Plc and SETRACO among others for technical and financial assistance.
“For the service industry, the ITF has committed itself to building the capacity of Nigerians in 17 vocational trade areas including GSM repairs, generator repairs, computer hardware repairs, software installation, marketing and catering services, among others.
The Fund has implemented the second phase of the 2016 National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP) across 18 states of the federation. The next phase of the Programme that is the first phase of the 2017 NISDP will commence soon across the 36 states and the FCT, and will train 300 Nigerians in each of the states in welding and fabrication, fashion and garment making, and plumbing and pipe fitting.
Unlike the previous phases where the ITF relied on the state governments for starter packs, the Fund will provide every beneficiary with a starter pack.
Buoyed by these successes, plans are underway to expand the programme so that more Nigerians will benefit. For instance, in future, several streams will be run within a phase, while it will roll out in all the states at the same time, The Nation learnt.
The ITF has also expanded its Technical Skills Development Project (TSDP), which it implements in collaboration with the Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA). Currently, 3000 trainees are undergoing training in 18 Centres across the country. The TSDP is one of the initiatives embarked upon by the two organisations to drive President Buhari’s efforts at industrialisation and job creation as well as reduce unemployment, promote sustainable wealth creation and instil youths with entrepreneurial and attitudinal skills through technical skills acquisition.
During the yearlong programme, the participants drawn from across the country would be trained in 18 trades and crafts including electrical/electronic maintenance, mechanical machinery and maintenance, welding fabrication works, plumbing and pipe fittings maintenance, beverage bottle operating, and information and communication technology.
Others are building construction, carpentry and joinery, agriculture and agro-allied, animal husbandry, aqua-culture and breeding and rearing, hatchery, livestock and aqua culture feeds, and fashion design and tailoring.
The 18 participating organisations are PAN Learning Centre Limited, Niger Docks Nigeria PLC, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Nigerian Bottling Company, Truck Masters Nigeria Limited, Lafarge Cement (WAPCO) Plc, Kamjay Farms, Ibeju-Lekki, Chi Limited, Ruff’n Tumble and Style House.
Other centres include the ISTC, Ikeja, ISTC, Kano; ISTC, Lokoja; ITF Centre for Excellence, Jos; FSTC, Lasa; FSTC, Awka; Government Technical College, Sokoto and Benin Technical College, Benin.
Why is ITF so passionate about skills acquisition?
Ari answered, “According to projections by several authorities, the Nigerian population will hit 500 million by 2050. Majority of this number will be youths and while this is an advantage, it becomes hugely disadvantageous and indeed problematic where they are not equipped with skills to be meaningfully engaged. Again, Nigeria is in a hurry to join Brazil, Russia, India, China, Singapore and other industrialized economies of the world in 2020. However, it is important to note that most these countries, which were at the same level of prosperity with Nigeria in the 1920s, attained their current level of industrialization and development largely through skills acquisition and development using organisations with similar mandate as with the ITF. We must therefore do more if these aspirations will be met. It is in this light that we have initiated other skills acquisition programmes including the Passion to Profession, the Technical Skills Development Project, Training on Wheels and many others in order to provide Nigerians with the opportunity to acquire skills.”
