The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) plans to empower five million Nigerian artisans annually with the knowledge, tools, and other resources to succeed in their vocations.
The director-general and chief executive of the agency, Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, stated this at the North West Zonal media briefing.
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Ogun said ITF initiated the Skill Up Artisan Programme(SUPA), and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to launch it soon due to its national importance.
Represented by the assistant director and head of training, Mr Daniel Jamgbade, the ITF boss said a call centre was established to provide information to the public, and at present, over 200,000 Nigerians registered within a month for the programme.
He said a curriculum for the programme was already developed for the individual trades with the assistance of relevant Sector Skills Councils and the Trade Unions in the country.
Ogun also informed the public that the assessment of training centres for the implementation of the Skill Up Artisan SUPA is being carried out in all 36 states of the federation and the FCT Abuja.
He said SUPA was developed in response to the need for upskilling and capacity-building among the country’s skilled workforce and appealed to journalists to assist the fund in ensuring the success of the programme through positive press coverage as their contribution to nation building.
“I wish to express our profound appreciation to the media in the northwest region for standing with us, particularly journalists in Kaduna State who played a critical role in promoting the image and corporate profile of the ITF, and have been strong partners in progress,” he said.
He emphasised that with the SUPA programme numerous opportunities would be available to harness the potential of the youth and drive economic growth for the next generation.
He said that the role of artisans cannot be overstated as they form the foundation upon which industries thrive, from manufacturing to construction, automotive to textiles, adding that artisans play a crucial role in driving productivity, innovation, and economic growth.
“The objective of SUPA is to identify, register, and categorize artisans across the different sectors of the economy, provide comprehensive industry compliant and certified training programmes, including health and safety programmes for various trades such as carpentry, masonry, plumbing and electrical works among others,” Ogun said.