The Director-General came Chief Executive of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Sir Joseph N. Ari, says skills acquisition remains the only sustainable way to tackle unemployment and poverty in Nigeria.
He made this assertion while addressing the closing ceremony of the 2020 National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP) of the Fund in Abuja on Thursday.
According to Ari, if Nigeria Nigeria faile to toe the path of skills acquisition, “even our population that should ordinarily be an asset will become a liability and we, as a Nation, will continue to fight a losing battle against the blights of poverty and unemployment and their attendant consequences due to perilous intersection and nexus between poverty and crime rate.”
The DG’s words of caution came at a time the unemployment and poverty situation in Nigeria continues to worsen, going by the report of the survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of Q4 of 2020, to the effect that unemployment was still hovering at over 33 per cent while youth unemployment was as high as 44 per cent.
“What is again very clear is that the efforts of the Federal alone cannot completely solve the problems of poverty and unemployment and the attendant fallouts. Indeed, the problems that stare us in the face today require Nigerians to pull together and synergise as institutions of Government, Corporate bodies and Non-Governmental Organisations to fully resolve them,” Ari said.
According the ITF boss, it was against this recognition that the Fund refocussed and repositioned its activities since 2016, leading to the equipping of hundreds of thousands of Nigerians with skills that they are using to earn sustainable livelihoods.
He described Thursday’s graduation ceremony, held at the Bolton White Apartments, Parks & Event Centre, Abuja, as a continuation of ITF’s drive to ensure that as many as possible are equipped with the technical skills for them to earn a living.
“Under this phase of the NISDP, thousands of Nigerian youths were trained nationwide in three trades namely: Tailoring, Cosmetology and Information and Communication Technology. Thousands of others were equally trained in other skills acquisition programmes including the Special Skills Development Programme (SSDP), the Federal Government Skills Empowerment Programme (FEGOSEP), the Info-Tech Skills Empowerment Programme (ISEP) and, the Agri-Preneurship Training Programme (ATP) amongst others. the Special Skills Development Programme (SSDP), the Federal Government Skills Empowerment Programme (FEGOSEP), the Info-Tech Skills Empowerment Programme (ISEP) and, the Agri-Preneurship Training Programme (ATP) amongst others,” he disclosed.
“This year that we have declared as the Year of Skills Heightening for Prosperity, which also coincides with our 50th Anniversary as an organisation, the Fund has commenced processes for the implementation of another round of skills acquisition programmes across the country. This phase will commence from the 1st week of June this year,” Ari said.
According to him, the graduation ceremony and distribution of start-up packs to beneficiaries of the 2020 National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), which was conducted by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) amidst the Covid-19 pandemic was part of the Fund’s efforts to provide Nigerians with technical skills for job and wealth creation.
“Given the circumstances under which we undertook the training, this ceremony we are witnessing today is, therefore, not only an expression of our unyielding desire but also our message to all Nigerians that despite adversity and challenges, we as individuals, organisations and as a country, shall always overcome with the right commitment, dedication and will to succeed,” he stated.
He expressed appreciation to organisations that had been partnering with ITF in carrying out our mandate, notably State Governments, the Organised Private Sector (OPS), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), corporate bodies and other well-meaning Nigerians that have been committing resources to empower vulnerable Nigerians with skills.
He also urged the graduands to resolve to utilise the opportunity provided by the training to transform themselves and contribute meaningfully to the Nigerian economy.
While giving his keynote address, the Minister of State for Industry, trade & Investment, Ambassador Mariam, noted that youth empowerment through skills acquisition was of paramount importance to both the Nation and the empowered.
“With increased youth empowerment, the future of a nation is secured, because these are the people that will, in future, make policies and occupy positions of authority in the country,” she said.
While stressing that the enormous task of youth empowerment should therefore not be left to the ITF and other government agencies alone, the Minister called on critical stakeholders and other agencies with similar mandates, to synergise in tackling the ominous twin challenges of unemployment and poverty that had bedeviled Nigeria and the continent for too long.
