Gyang Bere, Jos
The Director-General of Industrial Training Fund, (ITF), Joseph Ari has expressed strong commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari in providing skills acquisition to the vulnerable persons to combat the scourge of unemployment and youth restiveness in the country. He noted that the commitment of the fund to skills acquisition was because it is the most proven solution to poverty among Nigerians.
Ari disclosed this yesterday during a press briefing on four cardinal projects of the ITF in the first quarter of 2020, held at the STF headquarters, Jos, Plateau State.
“Our commitment to skills acquisition is based on the fact that it is the most proven solution to combating unemployment, reducing poverty and youth restiveness in the country. The National Industrial Skills Development Programmes (NISD) is one of the numerous skills acquisition intervention programmes introduced and implemented by the Fund to facilitate the achievement of the federal government’s policy on job and wealth creation.
“It focuses on skills acquisition to create jobs to stem rampant unemployment and breed a new generation of entrepreneurs, in order to transform the economic landscape of the country.”
Ari noted that the NISD has equipped over 450, 000 Nigerians nationwide with skills for employability and entrepreneurship while 12,000 persons would be graduated in February with a start-off packs to be given to them to run their businesses. He said the payment of over 1 million Nigeria students on students industrial work experienced scheme, which is a brainchild of the ITF, is overwhelming the institution.