By Isreal Joel ,Jos
Minister Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment Otunba Richard Adeniyi has disclosed that Federal Government expects more from Agencies such as the Industrial Training Fund ITF as it strives to grow the National economy and resolve other challenges that are confronting the country today.
According to the Minister, of great concern to the Federal Government is the need to urgently address the rising tide of unemployment and poverty in the country adding that it is in this regard that the Federal Government recently unveiled several initiatives including the National Development Plan (NDP), 2021-2025.
Otunba Adeniyi made the disclosure at the end of the year performance review for 2021 with the theme ” Actualizing the ITF mandate in a VUCA world.”
He pointed out that Government believes that for these programmes to be fully achieved, organisations like the ITF have a vital role to play, especially in the area of human capacity development for Nigerians.
Speaking earlier the Director General and Chief Executive Officer CEO of the Industrial Training Fund ITF Mr. Joseph Ari in his opening address disclosed that over N1.195billion was paid last year as students industrial works experience scheme as SIWES students supervisory allowances.
According to the DG a break down of this figure shows that over N961 million was paid to 64, 124 university students while over N162 million was paid to 16,292 Polytechnic students and the sum of over N71million paid to 7,121 students of colleges of education in the country.
He assured of the fund continuous commitment to promote payment of students and supervisors’ allowances as soon as money is recieved by the fund from the Federal Government.
Ari also commended the National Assembly for the bold step taken to commence legislative processes for the inclusion of Technical and Vocational Education Training TVET in Nigeria School curricular.
According to him, this step is in the right direction as it will expose Nigerians to hands-on skills at an early age and thereby eliminate existing prejudices against TVET and the perception of technical skills as a preserve for some classes of our society.
Ari also explained that, he is pleased to note that stakeholders are steadily keying into their advocacy for emphasis on skills acquisition as a vehicle and veritable tool for poverty reduction, job creation and over all national growth.
He pointed out that this review meeting, is an opportunity for them to reflect on their performance s in 2021 to come up with firm strategies to build on last year_s achievements and draw up programmes of action for 2022 bearing in mind the challenges of COVID-19.
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Other factors the DG said is prevailing government policies/programmes, the political environment and the VUCA world that is replete with a rapid rate of change and the multiplicity of decision factors to which there are no definite answers.
The ITF boss also argued that the fund has performed commendably in all facets of their activities and programmes stressing that for them to live up to the vision of being the foremost skills training development Organisation in Nigeria and one of the best in the world.
In his words “We shall continue to search for new ways of doing things that will engender growth and greater results, that is the true meaning of ideation and innovation.”
He challenged staff of the need to change their attitude to work noting that management appreciates that cases of indiscipline, absenteeism and irregularity at work has greatly reduce in recent years but was quick to add that there is room for improvement.
Ari also commended stakeholders like state governments, the organised private sector, NGOs that have collaborated with ITF to equip Nigerians with skills for employability and entrepreneurship.
