The Director General Chief Executive of the Industrial Training Fund, (ITF), Sir Joseph Ari, (KSM),has said adequate emphasis must be placed on the acquisition of technical and vocational skills, if the country is to achieve sustained economic growth.
According to him, this objective can only be achieved when stakeholders come together to support the Federal Government’s job creation and industrialisation efforts as championed by the ITF.
Speaking in Minna, Niger State during the 2016 Graduation Ceremony of Trainees of the National Industrial Skills Development Programme, (NISDP), the ITF director general said the graduation of the trainees represents a brilliant promise for the future of the country.
The ITF chief explained that the (NISDP), is the capacity building component of National Enterprises Development Programme (NEDEP), which is a programme conceived by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agencies (SMEDAN) and the Bank of Industry (BOI),pointing out that the programme was further aimed at actualizing the Diversification Agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
He said, “The programme seeks to precipitate rapid industrialization and stimulate inclusive economic growth by empowering the youth to be gainfully employed, through the provision of training in technical vocational skill in various trade areas, business development services and business finance”
On her part, the Area Manager for the Minna Area Office of the ITF, Mrs Ifeoma Ihezue, a Deputy Director, said the programme was in line with the mandate of the agency which is to provide, promote and encourage the acquisition of skills in industry and commence with a view to generating a pool of indigenous trained manpower sufficient to meet the needs of the private and public sectors of the Nigerian economy.
According to her, government acknowledges the efforts of the states in the area of youth empowerment in order to address restiveness among the youths, a result of which is the NISDP, which will fast track the achievement of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP).
She added that the NISDP is primarily a technical and vocational skills acquisition programme designed to attract resource empowerment for its trainees upon graduation, noting that the process of admission from all the 25 Local Government Areas, to implementation and installation took 3 months.
“Let me use this unique opportunity to specially commend the effort of the Master Craftsmen and the Trainees for their outstanding performance during this 2016 National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP). At the five (5) Centres Vis; Minna, Bida, Suleja, Kontagora and Mokwa respectively, we are convinced that the programme has achieved its aims and objectives by empowering the youths with employed skills that will enable them start their own business,”she said.
