As part of efforts geared towards achieving its mandate of providing skilled manpower for Nigeria’s industrial development, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has announced its plans to institute 36 training centres across all the states of Nigeria.
Dickson Onuoha, acting director-general of ITF, made this disclosure during an inspection tour of the Fund’s Model Skills Training Centre facility in Abuja by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) officials in Abuja. Onuoha said the plan of ITF to provide the training centres was prompted by the need to address the problem of skills gap in the country.
He stated that “with the proposed provision of 36 industrial skills training centre, one for each state of the federation, upgrade of existing skill training centres, the future is bright for technical skills development, which would provide the much needed impetus for industrial revolution.
“The ITF has contributed a lot in reducing youth unemployment across the country through its various skills training programmes. One of which is the establishment of Model Skills Training Centre, Abuja.
“The fund has requested the NBTE as a regulatory body of technical vocational skills institutions in Nigeria to formally inspect the centre and its facilities with a view to given accreditation to the MSTC.”
The ITF acting director-general disclosed that ITF had made concerted efforts to locate and assess the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs), adding that the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) was particularly important because it would provide the IDPs with a source of livelihood and equip them with new skills that could ensure their economic self-sufficiency.
“The self sufficiency can be during both displacement and re-integration over the short term, TVET would be provided specifically for IDPs based on the needs, capabilities and interest identified through consultations with them,” he said.
Musa Abdullahi, leader of the NBTE delegation, at the end of the tour, reiterated the readiness of the Board to assist ITF achieve its mandate of providing skilled manpower for the nation.
