By Harry Awurumibe, Head, Abuja Bureau
As part of its determined efforts to tackle and contain the scourge of unemployment in Nigeria, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) will this year train over 18, 000 Nigerians from across the federation on technical skills to be self reliant.
This much was disclosed today, Thursday, in Abuja at a world press conference addressed by the ITF Director General/ Chief Executive, Sir Joseph N.Ari during the unveiling of ITF 2019 Skills Intervention Programmes (SIP) at Sheraton Hotel Abuja.
According to him, as part of ITF determined and continued efforts to contain the unemployment malaise in the country the management has come up with a list of 11 implementable programmes for year 2019.
The programmes are National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), Women Skills Empowerment Programme (WOSEP), Air-corditioning and Refrigeration Training on (Wheels) and Design and Garment Making.
Others are Skills Training and Empowerment Programme for the Physically Challenged STEPP-C, Construction Skills Empowerment Programme (CONSEP), Aqua- Culture (Fish Farming), Manure Production, Crop Production (Grren House Technology), Poultry Farming and Training Programme Development on International Marketing and Test Running.
Ari also revealed that in all the programme will train about 18, 000 Nigerians between 3 to 6 months period they will last with no fewer than 11, 000 persons benefiting from NISDP while about 120 physically Challenged people will be empowered.
DG Ari also hinted that preliminary activities for the implementation of the programmes including procurement of crested T- shirts and Face caps, screening of participants and selection of training centers have commenced preparatory for the take- off.
But the ITF boss argued that not much will be achieved by his agency on its own and therefore appealed to Nigerians to support the Federal Government of President Muhammadu Buhari in its efforts to create jobs and reduce poverty through Skills Acquisition.
“I wish to appeal to all that the co- operation and collaboration of the Federal and State governments, the Organised Private Sector (OPS), politicians and other stakeholders to join hands with ITF in the aspect of human capacity development and vocational and technical skills training.”
