Gov Soludo Assures Anambra Youths On Job Creation As ITF Graduates 120
From Left, Ezeoha of Isekke, His Majesty Igwe Emmanuel.C. Nnabuife, ITF Deputy Director Mrs. Okwunna Ofodile, Ogene of Okpuno, Igwe Engr. S.I. Okafor, representative of Governor Chukwuka Soludo, Engr. Nelson Omenugha, ITF Awka Area Manager, Mrs. Nancy Ekong, Ochiagha Ezinato, His Highness Igwe T. N. Ezenwaka and Oluoha 111 of Ihiala, His Highness, Igwe Thomas Obidiegwu at the graduation ceremony organized by ITF Awka Area office for her 2022 intake
Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Soludo, has assured the youths of his commitment to take them off the streets through empowerment and job creation.
Soludo gave the assurance at the graduation ceremony organised by Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Awka Area Office, for the 2022 graduates.
The governor, who was represented at the occasion by his Special Adviser on Youths Empowerment and Trainings, Engr. Nelson Omenugha, noted that through the skills development programme, the institute has taken 120 Anambra State youths off the street by empowering them to be wealth creators.
Soludo while commending ITF for its laudable initiatives, expressed readiness to partner the institute.
“This is a partnership government is willing to extend their hands in future in its efforts to create wealth and unleash more businesses such that in no distant time more youths will be employed to make the state a more viable and prosperous state. Our government will be part of every programme that is geared towards taking our youths off the streets and out of poverty,” Omenugha said.
In his remark, the Director General and Chief Executive of ITF, Joseph Ari, noted that the ITF has over the years developed numerous skills, intervention programmes aimed to promote entrepreneurship, employability, job and wealth creation to reduce youth restiveness as well as promote economic diversification in line with federal government policy designed to transform the country’s economic landscape.
The DG, who was represented at the occasion by a Deputy Director, Mrs. Okwunna Ofodile, added through one of the five programmes of ITF, National Industrial Skills Development Programmes (NISDP) over 500, 000 Nigerians have been equipped nationwide with average of 20, 000 from each of the 36 states of the federation.
According to her, this phase of training which commenced in the last quarter of 2022 which lasted for three months had over 4,000 youths participating in the training which comprised theoretical (20 per cent), practical (80 per cent) and entrepreneurial aspects in five trades including tiling and laying of interlocking blocks, plumbing and pipe fitting, hair dressing, aluminum fabrication and solar power installation.
Ofodile, while commending Anambra State government for her contribution towards the success of the programme, appealed to other stakeholders including Organised Private Sector (OPS), Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), faith-based organisations, politicians amongst others to collaborate with ITF in its efforts to train Nigerians in order to move them out of poverty towards wealth creation.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Area Manager of ITF Area Office, Awka, Mrs. Nancy Ekong, said 120 trainees from Anambra State who trained in three trade areas, plumbing and pipe fitting, hairdressing and aluminum fabrication made up the number of graduates. She added that about 3, 525 have since graduated since inception in the state in 2012, noting that the institute has enjoyed the state government’s partnership to ensure success of the programme.
Speaking on the objectives of NISDP, she said the programme was aimed at ensuring the nation’s youths who constitute majority of workforce are groomed to be productive through provision of hard and soft skills, development of highly skilled entrepreneurial work force for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), minimising youths restiveness through provision of employable skills all geared towards wealth creation, poverty reduction as well as national unity.
Bank of Industry Manager, Mr. Andrew Oghomi, who was represented by Mr. Chibuzo Oji, commended ITF for efforts put in training the graduates. He noted that ITF was bridging the challenge of dearth of skilled manpower through the training.
Oji disclosed that the bank was prepared to support them grow their businesses by offering them easily accessible funds and loans for raw materials and equipment. He added that BOI partners Anambra State government to provide five per cent loans for a three to five years tenure which requires only two guarantors to bridge the gap of providing collateral securities to the loans.
General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, Anambra State Community and Social Development Agency, Mr. Chidi Mojekwu, commended ITF for its continuous stride especially concerning the youths. He averred that ITF all through the years have contributed to human capital development.
He added that his organisation has partnered ITF to train youths from poor homes, expressing pride that those youths are doing very well today. He congratulated the graduands for the milestones in their lives and admonished them to shun get rich quick generation.
Other stakeholders who attended the event include Chairman, Anambra South Traditional Rulers, Igwe Emmanuel Nnabife and other traditional rulers, NAFDAC, SON, Nigeria Police among others.
