ITF Seeks to Institutionalise Innovation, Creativity

*Mulls advanced skills training for employment

*Says education loan will boost school enrollment for indigent

James Emejo and Aisha Kabiru in Abuja

The Director General/Chief Executive, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Mr. Joseph Ari, has said the fund is currently working to ensure that innovation and creativity are institutionalised and entrenched in the system.
The ITF boss also disclosed that the fund has made a formal submission to the federal government for the establishment of Centres for Advanced Skills Training for Employment (CASTE) in the six geo-political zones.

Speaking at the opening of the 3rd Annual Forum for Innovation in African Universities (FIAU) in Abuja over the weekend, Ari, said the proposed CASTE could be used for graduate upskilling and reskilling and the overall capacity development of Nigerians in technical and vocational education.
He said the forum was particularly timely for Nigeria as resolutions that will emerge from the meeting would greatly assist the administration of President Bola Tinubu which had already shown a commendable willingness to reform tertiary education in Nigeria by signing into law the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023 otherwise known as the Student Loan Act.

The ITF boss pointed out that the Act, which had been canvassed for by actors in the tertiary education sector for years and was an integral element of the campaign promises of the president – will no doubt open up access to loans that will help students to fund their higher education, thereby boosting school enrolment even for the less privileged members of the society, who were previously denied such opportunities on account of lack of finance.
He said by signing this Act as his first executive action in office, Tinubu had indicated in bold terms that he was committed to breathing life into the ailing tertiary education system.

He said, “We pray that he continues on this path as he seeks to rebuild all facets of our dear country, Nigeria.”
However, for the President’s vision to become a reality, he said it was pertinent, “for us as regulators, government agencies, employers of labour and multilateral institutions to continue to brainstorm and generate implementable ideas that will further shape his plans and actions, especially concerning policies on tertiary education in Nigeria.”

He said the forum provides a veritable platform and opportunity to not only address the issues at hand but also work towards coming up with workable solutions that will greatly assist the president in this regard.
He said to further enhance creativity and innovation, the ITF had commenced efforts to convert its existing Skills Training Centres (STC) located in Lagos, Kano, Kogi, Abuja and Plateau and the vocational wings which are attached to area offices into hubs for innovation and entrepreneurship (e-Hubs).
This, he said, schools of higher learning in the country and other stakeholders could also use the e-hubs as incubation centres and vehicles for innovation and creativity.

Ari said, “Our experience over the years has shown that more can be achieved with greater collaboration and synergy. I will, therefore, use this opportunity to invite tertiary institutions and other relevant agencies to work with us to drive the growth of our dear country through innovation.

“I hope that our contributions and resolutions here will not only drive innovation in African schools of higher learning but also assist our respective governments to evolve policies that will encourage creativity for the overall development of our continent.”