Skills Acquisition Remains Panacea for Developmental Challenges, ITF Boss Insists

James Emejo in Abuja

The Director General, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Mr. Joseph Ari, has said that skills acquisition remained the only viable solution to the country’s numerous social and other developmental challenges.

But he said 54,603 highly skilled technicians had so far been graduated by the fund under the Technical Skills Development Project (TSDP) initiative, which was berthed in partnership with the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA).

Speaking at a media briefing on the ITF-NECA technical Skills development in Abuja, he said most of the technicians graduated are either employed in corporate organisations or have become entrepreneurs who are also employing others.  

Ari, said the fund remained committed to ensuring the sustenance of the skills acquisition programme in order to transform the lives of Nigerians, and change the trajectory and narrative of technical and vocational skills development in the country. 

Accordingly, he said a fresh Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) will soon be signed with selected participating organisations to further drive the objectives of the project in the next two years. 

He said, “As I have often advocated skills acquisition remains the only viable solution to the numerous social and other developmental problems that have bedeviled us as a nation. However, this can only be achieved it all stakeholders work as one, rather than in silos. 

“Our experience in this partnership and the successes recorded by emerging economies and developed countries of the world that have successfully transformed the economies using skills or position should be a model for us all.”

 He added that skills and vocational education programmes could potentially become a major antidote to unemployment, youth restiveness low disposable income, skill shortages and mismatch as well as other socio economic challenges currently faced by our dear country, Nigeria. 

He said despite the numerous financial and social cultural challenges faced by the fund within 12 years of its existence, the number of participating organisations had increased over time.

He explained that the institutions had risen from only about six which produced 285 highly skilled technicians in 2010 to currently 59 participating organisations and technical colleges.