The Director General of the Industrial Training Fund, Afiz Oluwatoyin, gave the warning at the graduation and distribution of start-up packs to 190 beneficiaries of the NISD on Thursday in Abuja.
The event was in collaboration with the Nigerian Breweries Company.
The beneficiaries comprising of youths and women were empowered with skills in Solar Power Installation, POP and painting, amongst others.
Oluwatoyin, represented by the Director of the Technical and Vocational Skills Training Development Department James Abimbola, said the 2023 graduation is a transformative brainchild of the ITF that is implemented to fast-track the achievement of the Federal Government’s policy on job and wealth creation and tackling of unemployment and poverty in the country.
He said, “To my esteemed graduates, I wish to use this opportunity to urge you to resolve to utilise the opportunity provided by this training to make a decent living for yourselves and your families and be good ambassadors of the ITF.
“Do not consider selling the start-up packs that will be presented to you as it is your ticket to the world and an opportunity for you to contribute meaningfully to the Nigerian economy.”
Speaking further, the DG indicated plans to reform and modernise its training operations and facilitate human capital development in line with emerging global trends.
He said though the fund has achieved significant progress in training women and youths, there is a need to expand its mandate through the utilisation of modern technology and the enthronement of a new culture that will lead to the emergence of Nigeria as a country with the most skilled persons in Africa.
According to him, this mandate of human capital development will develop numerous skills intervention programmes aimed at tackling unemployment and poverty, promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship while reducing youth restiveness in the country.
Oluwatoyin said, “The National Industrial Skills Development Programme, which graduation is taking place today, is a transformative brainchild of the ITF that is implemented to fast-track the achievement of the Federal Government policy on job and wealth creation. It focuses on skills acquisition to create jobs to curb the rampant unemployment situation in the country and breed a new generation of entrepreneurs to transform the economic landscape of the country. I have been informed that since its inception, the NISDP has equipped over 500,000 Nigerians nationwide with cutting-edge skills in various trades.
“Although the ITF has achieved a lot in over half a century of existence, the organisation in my opinion requires a new direction and focus for the policies and goals of the Tinubu administration to be achieved. You may recall that during my assumption of office, I had emphasized the need for the ITF to become a catalyst for National growth by deepening its activities and their impact on the National economy through the expansion of access both locally and internationally to our unique resources and internal competencies.
“I hope to do this through the utilisation of modern technology and the enthronement of a new culture that will lead to the emergence of Nigeria as a country with the most skilled persons in Africa. In the next few weeks, we will unveil a comprehensive vision of what the ITF of the future will look like. In the interim, plans are in motion to fully execute all targets of the Fund as set by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment especially as they relate to the National Artisan Registration and Development Programme.”
He further stated that a steering committee has been inaugurated to develop the requisite framework to identify tools and facilities for skills upgrading of artisans and enforcement of artisans’ licensing and certification across the country.
