The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) on Thursday said that it had in the last eight years exposed about 200, 000 youths to different employability and entrepreneurial skills.
ITF’s Director-General, Mr Joseph Ari, said this at the graduation ceremony of the 2019 National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), in Awka.
Ari said that the NISDP was the fund’s intervention programme to facilitate the Federal Government’s policy on wealth and job creation.
Represented by Malam Suleman Ningi, ITF’s Director of Programmes in Jos, Ari said that no fewer than 11,000 youths were currently benefiting from the skills development programmes in nine states.
“The beneficiaries were trained in shoe and bag making, welding and fabrication, catering and event management, tiling, production and laying of interlock tiles.
“They were also trained in furniture making, domestic electrical wiring and installation, solar energy installation, plumbing and pipe-fitting, and beauty care,’’ he said.
Ari said that ITF would continue to expose young Nigerians to skills acquisition, adding that the initiative was a solution to reducing poverty and unemployment across the country.
ITF’s Area Manager in Anambra State, Mrs Nacy Ekong, said that 200 persons from the state graduated from the programme.
“Since the inception of this programme in 2012, no fewer than 3,405 youths spread across the 21 Local Government Areas of Anambra have been trained in various skills.
“The trainees were equally coached and mentored by 10 competent trainers, who were stationed in the various centres throughout the duration of the programme.
“Both the trainers and trainees were duly supervised by ITF officials,’’ she said.
She said all the beneficiaries would be given start-up packs as well as provided with access to acquiring loans from the Bank of Industry for their businesses.
Ekong enjoined the beneficiaries to make good use of the training and start-up packs, and not sell them.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Lands and Physical Infrastructure, Mr Bonaventure Enemali, expressed satisfaction with the success recorded by the programme so far.(NAN)
