The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ITF

  • Fed. Govt to ITF: Create 2m jobs annually

    Fed. Govt to ITF: Create 2m jobs annually

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has been directed to train 2m workers annually in order to scale back the country’s woeful unemployment numbers. In a country of around 170m much more people are said to be jobless than those working.

    That was why the ITF, a human capital development unit of the Federal Government, has been asked to help tackle the jobs challenge.

    But, created over 30 years ago, the Fund has trained only 10 million workers. How then can it get 2m working in just one year?

    It is not such a problem, said its Director-General in Jos, Juliet Chukkas-Onaekon. At a forum with reporters in the Plateau State capital, she said, “ITF is Nigeria’s wheel of industry, and it will not see its new mandate to create 2 million jobs annually as insurmountable. Our new mandate is to train 2 million Nigerians annually. It is part of the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Development Plan (NIRDP) designed recently by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s administration. In this plan, the federal government has opened the door for new investors for the establishment of new industries. The dead industries will also be revived. If this feat could be achieved, the population of unemployed Nigerians in the Labour market will be reduced by half.

    She said, “Recently, car manufacturing industries have begun to come up in Nigeria; they now produce spare part for cars. They will expand from producing parts to manufacture a complete car in Nigeria. Then we will stop importing cars into this country because there would be a company that will manufacture cars here.

    “Through a research, ITF has realized that the smaller industries generate more employment than the bigger industries. Hence, the federal government has created Micro, Small and Medium scale Council of Nigeria (MSMES). This council will ensure that these small industries can be encouraged to create jobs for our youths. In addition to this, a job creation board has also been established and given a mandate to create 3 million jobs annually, while we in ITF train the skilled workers to fit into these industries.

    Dr. Chukkas-Onaekon stressed, “Nigerians will be surprised to know that a lot of our graduates looking for jobs today are not employable. Majority of them cannot even defend their acclaimed certificates. But ITF can make them employable through skill training. We shall identify these unemployed graduate across the country and train them in skills, they will get jobs once they acquire relevant skills. There are lots of job vacancies in Nigeria and abroad but there are few qualified applicants. There are vacancies begging for the right applicants to fill in this country, but our graduates cannot fit into theses vacancies because they are not skillful. That is where ITF comes in, we will bring these graduate back for skill training which last just few months and they will be qualified for these vacancies.

    “There are various sectors that require relevant skills for employment; we are going to train these graduates on specific skills. For instance, we will train some for our power sector, we will train some others for the telecom sector, others for the oil sector, some for agro-allied sector and some specifically for ICT and so on. By the time we do that, our industries will not suffer for lack of relevant skilled workers and Nigerian youth will not remain in the labor market any longer”

    She also said, “Now, we all know that there is oil deposit and exploration in Southsouth Nigeria; ITF will specifically train youths for that specific work. In Eastern Nigeria we have manufacturing industries, we will train some Nigerian youths needed for that. Some of the factors that militated against some industries in the past had to do with lack of skilled workers. But the current transformation agenda has been designed to have enough skilled workers for all industries in the country.

    Dr Chukkas-Onaekon who is a professional skill teacher, was currently elected the Chairman of two critical national committees in the field of skill training. She was elected chairperson of World Skills Nigeria. She was also elected chairperson of the National Mirror Technical Committee. The committee, which comprises   representatives from the Industrial Training Fund, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, University of Nigeria, Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Society for Human Resources Management, is expected to develop standards in all aspects of human resources practices in line with global standards.

    The World Skills Nigeria is a body vested with the responsibility of spear-heading and coordinating Nigeria’s participation in the world skills competition which is scheduled for Sao-Paulo, Brazil in 2014. The global competition will showcase the efforts of the country in skill training; it will also challenge Nigeria to peer review with other countries of the world in areas of man power development.

    “ITF has 32 Area Offices across the country which serves as training centers, but that is not enough, more Area offices has to be establish if we must train 2 million Nigeria annually. Even in Jos the ITF Headquarter, we need to improve on our training facilities.

    She said, “The ongoing transformation agenda of the federal government is such that will address all the factors that contributed to the failure of past industries. Factors like multiple taxation, inadequate power supply, lack of skills, security, access to credit facilities, lack of standard etc. Already, these factors are been addressed through infrastructural development, at least there are signs that power will improve and ITF is training more skill workers and so on. This government is actually learning from the past to create a better future for industrial development.

    For instance, “Issue of multiple taxation is scared a lot of industries, so many funny tax are been advanced by all arms of government, including touts. No industry can thrive under heavy and numerous taxation. Multiple taxation is weighing down the Small and Medium scale industries and will not be allowed in this current dispensation of new industrialization plans, because these small scale industries do more in job creation.”

  • Crew members, Ecobank square up over unpaid salaries

    •We’re not aware- Ecobank

    Crew members aboard a vessel, the M.T. Tumini are set to tussle with Ecobank over unpaid salaries from April 2013 till date.

    The vessel previously named Tradewind Sunrise was purchased by Petroleum Brokers Limited in December 2008 from V. Ships Florida, USA.

    However, the crew made up of Guyanese nationals was unable to sail and deliver the vessel to Lagos because of mechanical reasons. Hence, it remained in Trinidad.

    Tonye Claude Wilcox, the Managing Director of Petroleum Brokers Limited, however, died in 2011. Following Wilcox’s death, officials from Ecobank Nigeria Limited visited and held a meeting aboard the vessel, stating that Mr. Tonye Claude Wilcox financed the purchase of the vessel through Ecobank and that the bank is looking at options for the way forward for the vessel.

    A decision was made and Ecobank left the vessel with Wimmar Limited as management/agent for the purposes of trade. Ecobank kept the crew and continued to finance the vessel’s operations in terms of fuel, crew wages, dry docking, technical shore services, agency fees, repairs and others worth millions of US dollars.

    But according to a SOS  from the crew, by April 2013 Ecobank stopped financing the vessel’s operations when they enquired of their salaries and Mr. Gerald Andrews of Wimmar Limited informed them that the funds will be coming shortly. “The matter will be resolve shortly,” said Andrews who represents Ecobank at Wilmar Limited by way of explanations for the delayed payments. He continued asking for time saying, “the bank is trying to resolve the matter.”

    Last October, the crew took the matter to the Seaman and Water Front Workers Trade Union (SWWTU) which is the local representative in Trinidad and Tobago for the International Transport workers’ Federation (ITF).

    The SWWTU and its attorney wrote to Ecobank and Petroleum Brokers Limited. The attorney told the crew members that Ecobank sold the mortgage on vessel to a loan recovery company-AMCON in Nigeria.

    Subsequently, Prof. Toyin Ashiru, CEO of  Tricontinental Group came forward and stated that Ecobank gave him a Letter of authorisation/contract to operate and manage the vessel.

    Ashiru in discussions with the union and its lawyer agreed to settle all outstanding wages.

    However, the crew only received salaries for between April and July 2013. And presently it is being owed wages from August 2013 till date along with other back payments which includes: vacation pay, overtime, contract work and others.

    Presently the crew is seeking legal help for the situation locally in Trinidad. The crew has met with several organisations – Nigeria Embassy, Guyana consulate, Ministry of Labour and Foreign Affairs, Maritime Department – in Trinidad to no avail.

    The crew now wonder why Ecobank has not paid them off as it seems it has abandoned both vessel and crew. They have even vowed to file a petition to President Goodluck Jonathan if Ecobank does not resolve the situation.

    Speaking in an interview with The Nation over the weekend, Mr. Austen Osokpor, of the Corporate Communications Department of Ecobank, who initially feigned ignorance, however, pleaded for more time to get to the root of the matter. “Where is the vessel you’re talking about? Is it in Lagos or where? We’re not aware. Okay, we will get the details,”Osokpor stressed.

  • ITF Africa Circuit: Nigeria heads to Benin with winning form

    •Itodo battles for Masters in Cairo

    Fresh from their successful outing at the ITF West & Central Africa Junior Circuit in Togo where they won six gold, four silver and three bronze medals to emerge overall winners of the double-phased tournament, Nigerian players are looking good for another dominant outing as the tournament moved to Benin Republic with hostilities commencing today.

    An eventful period for Nigerian tennis will also see youngster, Christopher Itodo competing at the 14&U African Masters which holds from September 22 to 28 in Cairo, Egypt. Itodo was invited due to his performance at the African Junior Championship held last March in Nairobi, Kenya.

    For the Circuit, Joseph Ubon, who accounted for three of Nigeria’s six gold medals in Togo, will be spearheading the country’s quest for honour at the event holding at the Tennis Club de L’Amitie, Cotonou.

    Ubon completed a great tournament on Saturday by beating Malawi’s Chisomo Luweta 6-3, 6-3 in the boy’s final to retain the title he won against compatriot, Mohammed Mohammed in the first phase. Nigerian duo of Emmanuel Audu and Abubakar Tswako won the doubles title by beating Gueninle Ouattara and Chisomo Luweta of Malawi in the final

    The tournament in Togo is rated as Grade 5 by the ITF and will have 48 players in the boy’s main draw while 32 players feature in the girl’s draw which will also serve off today.

  • SURE-P partners ITF on equipping centres

    SURE-P partners ITF on equipping centres

    The Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme SURE-P has agreed to equip Industrial Training Fund (ITF) centres with tools to assist technical vocational training students undergoing different skills.

    The Chairman,  SURE-P,  General Martin Luther Agwai disclosed this during a visit by the Director General  of ITF,  Dr. Juliet Chukkas Oneako in Abuja at the weekend,  stating that though  SURE-P is winding up by 2015, they should leave a legacy by partnering with agencies that are fully into job creation.

    He said, “SURE-P had earlier on renovated ITF headquarter building in Jos, a follow up to that is the equipping of the centre with different tools for trainees in this centres.  Our desire is to reduce the labour market to the minimal.”

    Responding, Oneako assured that with SURE-P collaboration, the organisation will achieve maximally. “In the past we had successfully partnered with Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, Dangote Foundation, Technical Vocational School, Singapore.  These partnerships are targeted at providing international standard for trainers,” she stressed.

  • ITF closes unemployment gap

    Deputy Director, Industrial Skill Training Center (ISTC) of the Industrial Training Fund, (ITF), Mr. Olasupo James Abimbola, said the Fund’s priority on vocational training and skill acquisition has been helping to reduce unemployment and youth restiveness.

    He spoke in Lagos during the 3rd graduation ceremony of the ITF and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) Technical Skill Development Programme Batch four trainees.

    He noted that the ISTC which presently offers over eight categories of technical and vocational training in various areas was established with only three trade areas.

    According to him, the center presently offers technical and vocational training in information and communication technology, electrical installation and maintenance and mechanical maintenance.

    He listed other areas of specialized vocational and technical training to include welding and metal fabrication, refrigeration and air conditioning and instrumentation, process control and autotronics and auto mechanic work.

    He said the center has trained more than 2541 trainees in 239 programmes for 220 organisations in various categories of training.

    He explained the ITF-NECA technical skills development programme is a joint initiative of the ITF and NECA, pointing out the programme is designed to facilitate the availability of middle level manpower with appropriate technical and vocational skill to bridge the identified skill gap and meet the technical manpower of the Nigerian economy.

    The ISTC training manager said of particular importance is the fact that the graduating trainees have performed well in learning and character, and are worthy to be awarded the ITF-NECA certificate of competence in their chosen trade.

    To buttress the capability of technical and vocational training in solving the nation’s unemployment problem, Abimbola explained over 42 percent of the trainees graduating are already gainfully employed barely six months after the completion of their programme, while some were offered employment before the completion of their programme.

    The development, he noted further testifies to the quality of the ITF-NECA,adding another set of 50 training are currently preparing to embark on a three months mandatory industrial attachment at various organisations.

    He encouraged the graduands to make the most of the trainings and opportunities that has been offered them, saying the center will remain committed empowering youths with multi skills and entrepreneur skills for job and wealth creation.

  • ITF to establish 32 skills training centres nationwide

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF), a government agency charged with the responsibility of training required manpower for the nation’s industrialization needs has assured the nation that all things being equal, it will keep delivering on its core mandate.

    The agency through it Director-General, Dr (Mrs) Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko announced that plans to establish 32 skills training centers across the nation is underway. She stated this yesterday during the graduation ceremony of its 4th batch (2013) trainees in Lagos. The skill manpower training which is in partnership with the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA)graduated 45 now highly skilled youths in its Technical Skills Development Project (TSDP) at its Industrial Skills Training Centre (ISTC), Ojota Lagos.

    Chukkas-Onaeko said the TSDP is an initiative which aims at producing appropriate technical skilled workforce with a view to reduce unemployment and youth restiveness by empowering Nigerians with industrial and vocational skills for paid or self-employment. She added that the major plank of President Jonathan’s transformation Agenda is the National Industrial Revolution Plan (NIPR) and the graduation of the trainees, a modest effort of ITF and partners to ensure availability of sufficient quantity of required skilled workforce for driving the NIPR. Through synergy with other stakeholders, she announced that 37, 000 youths were trained in Autotronics, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Tiling, Sewing and Knitting, and welding and fabrication in 2013.

    To address the issue of poverty and unemployment,   Chukkas-Onaeko said three most effective strategies include political, social and economic empowerment. She appeals for release of statutory funds from relevant government agencies to make their all important assignment easy calling for the resuscitation of technical skills training at least in phases.

    The Chairman of the occasion and Managing Director, Vono Products Plc, Mrs Titolola Bakare said the graduation of the skilled trainees was made possible because the synergy between ITF and NECA                       calling for its sustenance as the manufacturing sector of the economy has benefitted immensely since the inception of the programme four years ago. She said no nation can attract investors without sufficient manpower requirements to drive the investment. Mrs Bakare advised the teeming youths roaming the streets to take advantage of skills acquisition opportunities provided by the Federal Government as it can make their dream come true.

  • ITF warns defaulters

    ITF warns defaulters

    The Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Dr Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko has warned Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that fail to remit one per cent of their staff salaries to the Fund or face the wrath of the law.

    She said the money is to enable the agency train people in technicals to reduce unemployment.

    Dr. Chukkas-Onaeko told The Nation that the agency is soliciting for the support and cooperation of the stakeholders in ensuring that  employers register and pay their training contributions to ITF, adding that the Fund is in working with the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) to achieve maximum results.

    She said the agency would advocate a strategy to resuscitate skills training.

    The short term plan, she said, involves training youths and the unemployed in occupational trades for employment and job creation, while the medium term involves revamping existing vocational and technical schools by re-equipping them to commence training immediately.

    She said: “The long term plan involves establishing new vocational and technical school training schools in all parts of the country by all tiers of government to complement existing ones and establish 32 skills training centres in various locations of the country.”

    She said these are the agency’s way of keying into the Federal Government’s Transformation Agenda, under the National Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP).

  • ‘ITF plans training for two million on skills acquisition’

    ‘ITF plans training for two million on skills acquisition’

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) plans to train about two million people in effort to close the skills gap that exist in the industrial sector, the Director-General, Dr. Juliet O.E Chukkas-Onaeko, has said.

    Mrs. Chukkas-Onaeko, who spoke in Lagos yesterday, said the Fund would collaborate with other bodies, including the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to ensure that the two million target is met.  She said UNIDO is helping out  in the area of skills assessment  and skills gap survey.

    The said the body has some challenges in dealing with the SIWE (Students Industrial Work Experience) internship programme because of the large number of students involved. She explained that one of  the major issues, is to clear the backlog of arrears due to the interns who have completed their  placement. She blamed the situation on underfunding from the Federal Government coffers.

    However, she said the position is looking better, stating that in no time, the arrears would be cleared.

    1. Chukkas-Onaeko, said the number  of students posted for the SIWE have continued to increase, because the initial disciplines for which the scheme was designed, were arbitrarily increased to include courses that should not have been part of it, adding that at the moment, about 300,000 students are awaiting payment of their arrears. She said the essence of the ITF training is geared towards self and gainful employment.

    The ITF chieftain said the intention of the body is to turn its  training centres  in the six geo-political zones to international standards, with a view to bringing them to what obtains in the developed nations, adding that ITF is partnering with Brazil to achieve the feat.

    She said locally, ITF is collaborating with Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria (PAN), the Small and Medium  Enterprises Development Agencies of Nigeria (SMIEDAN) and other firms, including Dangote Group and Lafarge WAMPCO, and Yaba College of Technology to advance and expand the scope of training for the its trainees.

    She said the Fund’s major sources of funds, which  is the one per cent contribution from companies, is being threatened  with the closure of firms and the reluctance of most government agencies to comply with the statutory provision. She said contribution from government agencies hovers between 30 per cent and 35 per cent.

  • ITF seeks support for skills development

    ITF seeks support for skills development

    The  Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has called on governments at all levels and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to rev up their support for the development of skills to aid the nation’s industrialisation process.

    As part of the moves to achieve this, the Fund sought for patronage for its training programmes, including prompt remittance of training contributions.

    Its Director-General,Dr Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, who spoke  during the opening ceremony of the sixth management retreat of the agency in Asaba, the Delta State capital, said ITF will not relent in providing need based intervention in the polity.

    The workshop, with theme, “Mastering the art of leading change” was organised by the ITF to come up with strategies that could be used in achieving its mandates.

    She said: ”We appeal to both the private and public sectors to support the ITF. On our part, we shall not relent in providing appropriate need based performance improvement intervention of all our clients and stakeholders.”

  • ITF president upset over “inaccurate and unfair” criticism by Rio Mayor

    ITF president upset over “inaccurate and unfair” criticism by Rio Mayor

    The International Tennis Federation (ITF) President, Francesco Ricci Bitti, has reacted to claims by Rio de Janeiro Mayor, Eduardo Paes, that his sports governing body was making unacceptable demands ahead of the Olympics.

    Paes claimed last week that international federations will “keep complaining about me until the day the Olympics start because sometimes they want us to do things that are too large’’. He had singled out the ITF for demanding a 20,000-capacity stadium, when plans are for a 10,000-seater one.

    This is contained in “insidethegames Biz”, a publication on the Games. Bitti, who is also President of the Association for Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), earlier this month was vocally critical of preparations for the Games.

    “The specific reference to tennis is both inaccurate and unfair because the existing project fully satisfies the requirements of a 10,000-seat centre court stadium. The ITF has never requested that the centre court capacity be changed,’’ he told the publication.

    According to the statement, the official candidature file submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by Rio 2016 in February 2009, the overall capacity for the Olympic Tennis Centre should be 18,250.

    This is made up 10,000 centre court capacity, as well as the 5,000 for show court one, 3,000 for show court two and a further 250 for other courts. The statement said the ITF claimed their demands had not changed since then.

    The outburst from Paes could further upset an already fragile relationship between Rio 2016 and ASOIF at a crucial time in preparations for the Games.

    The statement said that following the latest visit of the IOC Coordination Commission to Rio last month, slow progress regarding the construction of venues was attacked during the ASOIF General Assembly at the Sport Accord Convention in Belek, Turkey.

    It added that the criticism was led by Bitti who blamed the government and Rio Mayor’s office, rather than Rio 2016 for the continual delays. It noted that a long awaited infrastructural budget had been unveiled by the Municipal, State and Federal Governments, although much more progress is clearly required.

    According to the publication, Bitti outlined further stance of the ITF and other governing bodies as they seek to work with rather than against Brazilian authorities to address all their concerns.

    “The international federations remain fully committed to successful Games in Rio in 2016 and will do everything in their abilities to support that outcome. However, at the recent meeting with ASOIF in Turkey, they expressed their general concern about the progress of venue construction which is behind schedule and in some cases significantly so.

    “The International Federations (IFs) know very well that their demands should only be related to the bid documents and IOC technical requirements. Contrary to what has been stated, instead of being more demanding, the IFs have reassured the IOC that they are willing to show flexibility in taking account of the current situation. Rio 2016 still needs to fulfill the obligations to which it is committed,’’ he said.