ITF trains, equip 225 Bauchi youths in skills acquisition for self-reliance, employment generation 

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By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi 

A total of 225 youths and women in Bauchi State have been trained and equipped with skills in solar power installation, hair dressing/beauty care, tailoring and fashion design, integrated agriculture and plumbing and pipe fitting. 

The programme was undertaken by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) through the 2023 National Industrial Skills Development Programmes (NISDP). 

The disclosure was made by the Director General/CEO of ITF, Dr Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, at the closing ceremony of the 2023 intervention programmes held on 28th November, 2023 in Bauchi on Tuesday.

The DG said that the NISDP, AgSEP and CONSEP were implemented in Bauchi State aimed at tackling unemployment and poverty, the promotion of entrepreneurship and the reduction of youth restiveness while also diversifying the Nigerian economy in line with the Federal Government’s policy. 

Oluwatoyin added that some of the programmes implemented by the Fund included: the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), the Women Skills Empowerment Programme (WOSEP), Construction Skills Empowerment Programme (CONSEP). 

He said that the Industrial Training Fund which is an Agency of the Federal Government that is vested with the mandate of Human Capital Development of our dear nation, has  over the years developed numerous skills intervention programmes Agri-preneurship Skills Empowerment Programme (AgSEP), Skills Training and Empowerment Programme for the Physically-Challenged (STEPP-C) amongst several others.

According to him, the National Industrial Skills Development Programmes (NISDP), which graduation is taking place, is a transformative brainchild of the ITF that is implemented to facilitate the achievement of the Federal Government policy on job and wealth creation. 

It focusses on skills acquisition to create jobs to curb the rampant unemployment situation in the country and breed a new generation of entrepreneurs, in order to

transform the economic landscape of the country. 

The DG/CEO said that, “I have been informed that since its inception, the NISDP has equipped over 500,000 Nigerians nationwide with cutting-edge skills in various trades.” 

“As an Institution, our commitment to skills acquisition is based on the fact that it is the most sustainable solution to combatting unemployment, reducing poverty and youth restiveness in the country. It is universally accepted that any society that neglects the development of its human capital is bound to retrogress in terms of growth and development,” he added. 

He stressed that,”In Nigeria, the situation is especially worrisome as even in the face of existing vacancies in several sectors of the National economy, as revealed by surveys conducted by the ITF and other organisations, youths roam the streets without any form of gainful employment giving rise to crimes and other social vices that bedevil our dear nation today.”

Although the ITF has achieved a lot in over half a century of existence, he said that,”the Organisation in my opinion requires a new. direction and focus in order for the policies and goals of the Tinubu administration to be achieved.” 

According to him, “You may recall that during my assumption of office, I had emphasized the need for the ITF to become a catalyst for National growth by deepening its activities and their impact on the National economy through expansion of access both locally and internationally to our unique resources and internal competences.

“I hope to do this through the utilization of modern technology and the enthronement of a new culture that will lead to the emergence of Nigeria as a country with the most skilled persons in Africa. In the next few weeks, we will unveil our comprehensive policy thrust of what the ITF of the future will look like,”The DG /CEO assured.

Oluwatoyin stressed that, “across the length and breadth of the country today, we see tangible evidence of the Federal Government’s efforts to boost the economy using the Renewed Hope Agenda. What the Federal Government is doing is clearly impressive in view of the magnitude of the unemployment and other challenges confronting the Nation today.”

“However, for the efforts of Mr. President to have any meaningful impact, it behoves on us as Governments, Non- Governmental organisations and other relevant stakeholders to joir hands with the Federal Government for the growth and development of our dear country, Nigeria,” he added. 

He therefore, urged, as institutions, and well- meaning individuals to join  in the quest to developing our dear country and grow our National economy through the equipping of Nigerians with requisite skills.

Area Manager, Bauchi Area Office of ITF, Ahmed Jibrin Loko said that, in the year 2023, the ITF Bauchi Area Office trained 120 youths in Bauchi State under the NISDP in trade areas such as Tailoring, Hair Dressing/Beauty care, and Solar power Installations that cut across the centres at Azare, Misau and Bauchi metropolis respectively in which this occasion is being held to equip the trainees with start- up packs as the Fund’s way of supporting and encouraging indigenous Manpower Development.

Equally, ITF implemented other skills acquisition programmes in 2023 which included; Agripreneurship Skills Empowerment Programmes (AgSEP and Construction Skills Empowerment Programme (CONSEP) for the youths of Bauchi State.

Loko therefore congratulated the esteemed graduands, who were presented with start- up packs urging them to judiciously utilize the opportunity given by this training to transform yourselves. 

According to him, “You should consider the start-up packs as your meal ticket to the larger world and an opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the Nigerian economy.”