ITF team at a stakeholders interactive meeting in Bauchi
By Ishola Michael – Bauchi
Not fewer than 500 persons, mostly youths, women and persons with Disabilities have been trained by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) on various skills in Bauchi and Gombe States.
The disclosure was made by the Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Sir Joseph Ntung Ari, represented by the Area Manager, Bauchi office, Mr Richard Baba, during the Fund’s 2020 stakeholders’ interactive forum held at the Zaranda Hotel Bauchi, on Wednesday.
Joseph Ari said that the training was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s reviewed vision and quest to tackle incidences of unemployment among the vulnerable groups in the country head-on.
The DG also noted that the trainings were carried out through Women Skills Empowerment Program (WOSEP), Construction Skills Empowerment Program (CONSEP), National Industrial Skills Development Program (NISDP), amongst others.
The beneficiaries according to him were trained on tailoring and fashion design, welding and fabrication, crop production, solar installation, poultry farming, carpentry, hairdressing, agriculture and many others in order to make them self-reliant and employers of labour.
Joseph Ari commended the stakeholders for paying their one percent statutory contribution amidst economic crisis occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and congratulated the stakeholders for surviving the corona virus pandemic.
He also sympathised with them for all they went through during the COVID-19 period saying that “We appreciate you all for taking the bold step in fulfilling your obligation by paying your one per cent statutory training contribution and also going further to train members of your workforce amidst the economic crisis.”
He further said that the interactive forum was one of the flagship programs of the Fund that provide a platform to further strengthen the existing relationship with critical stakeholders towards the nation’s economic development.
The DG who opined that building and maintaining a sustainable working relationship between the Fund and stakeholders is very vital, hoped that the session will offer unique opportunity towards addressing issues relating to the fund’s operations.
He then declared that ITF has come a long way in addressing issues bothering on human capital development and skills needs of Nigeria for the past 49 years of its existence.
Joseph Ari, however, said that despite the challenges confronting ITF due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Fund has ensured the continual review of its mode of operation in order to achieve its desire and that of the Nigerian people.
He said that one of the strategies adopted in meeting targeted population this year, is the creation of additional Area Offices nationwide, including Gombe State to ensure that More sections of the country are covered.
At the end of the meeting, Some of the stakeholders while commending ITF for doing a good job advised that the Fund should expand its operations to primary school pupils so as to catch them young.