ITF trains 3,905 youths in various skills acquisition in the Country. —DG

Kogiflame
The Director General of Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Sir Joseph Ari on Thursday disclosed that a total of 3905 Nigerian youths were equipped with skills in the areas of catering and event management and plumbing and pipe fittings.
He made this known in Lokoja, Kogi state during the graduation closing ceremony of 2021 National Industrial Training Skills Development Programme (NISDP) which took place at Industrial Skills Training Center in Lokoja, Kogi State.
The Director General who was represented by Director Estate Management Unit. Mr. I. Akpan said out of this number, 100 youths in Kogi state were trained in cateri g and event management and plumbing and pipe fittings.
According to him, the programme commenced in third quarter of 2021 adding that the training lasted three months.
He said the NISDP was initiated in 2016 to not only facilitate the achievement of the federal government police on job and wealth creation and breed a new generation of enterprenurs to transform the economic landscape of the country but above all drive the achievement of the economic recovery and growth plan.
He noted that despite the overwhelming impact of the ERGP, the federal government recently launched the National Development Plan(NDP) in 2921-2025 as a replacement for the ERGP or perhaps as a measure to address emerging challenges, given the breadth of the plan and it’s objectives.
His words, “The vision of the NDP which is to make Nigeria a country that has unlocked it’s potential in all sectors of the economy for a sustainable, holistic, and inclusive national development
“I believe that if Nigerians are equipped with requisite skills, unemployment and poverty will be reduced and the attendant damages they have on all facets of our national life as no reasonable analysis will divorce unemployment from the needless incidents of violence that have claimed thousands of lives across the Nation, just as it will equally be difficult to separate rising criminality and harmful social vices that are being perpetrated by Nigerians and, therefore, we must strive to find a way to address these changes.
He therefore appeal to state government, the organised private sector, non governmental organisations to faith based organisation, politicians and other stakeholders to collaborate with the ITF in their efforts to train Nigerians.
He said such collaboration could be by way of sponsorship of additional trainees for their various skills programme, or by buying start up packs for beneficiaries of the programmes.
“It is my firm belief that only through such collaborations will the fund be able to train as many youths as possible to impact the Nigerian environment and finally solve the problems of unemployment and poverty.
Earlier, the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello who represented by Special Adviser on Job creation and SME Develolment, Honourable Danladi Sulaiman commended the Industrial Training Fund for training 100 youths across that state.
He noted that the state government will continue to work hand in hand with ITF in order to train youths in state.
He added that the state government is not relenting in its effort to train more youths both men and women in order to curb criminalities and other social vises in the state.