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Success Nwogu
The Director-General/Chief Executive of the Industrial Training Fund, (ITF) Joseph N. Ari, on Wednesday said that ITF empowered 3,905 youths nationwide and 100 in Kwara State during its 2021 National Industrial Skills Development Programme.
Speaking on Wednesday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital during the closing ceremony/graduation of the trainees, the policies and programmes of the President Muhammad Buhari administration have been impacting positively on youth development, job and wealth creation as well as on the economy.
He stated that the policies and programmes that the administration had been implementing since 2015, had empowered organisations such as theirs to initiate and implement skills acquisition programmes like the NISDP.
His speech was read by the Area Manager, ITF, Ilorin Area Office, Mrs. Temitayo Quadri.
Ari said, “It is with great delight and a high sense of fulfilment that I welcome you to this event-the occasion of the graduation ceremony and the distribution of start-up packs to beneficiaries of the 2021 National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP).
“At this juncture, let me welcome the Executive Governor of Kwara State whose inspirational leadership in the state has motivated and boosted our operations in the state leading to the empowerment of thousands of citizens in the state with skills for employability and entrepreneurship.
“Your Excellency, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, there is no doubt that Nigeria is witnessing a youth bulge. According to several authorities, Nigeria had a population of about 45 million and a birth rate of about 2 per cent in 1960. Today, our population has ballooned to over 200 million with a birth rate of close to 3 per cent per annum, with many projections that we may hit the 400 million mark by 2050, which will catapult us to third after China and India on the ranking of Nations with the highest population. Whereas the youth bulge may not be entirely disadvantageous and, indeed, a demographic dividend if people of working age are engaged in productive activities and its potential fully harnessed, it becomes a demographic bomb and a huge potential for social and political instability when not fully utilized. Countries like China, South Korea, and Vietnam among others that were able to take advantage of the youth bulge, did so through huge investments in skills acquisition and a raft of other economic reforms that ensured that the youthful workforce was gainfully engaged.
“That we are today, contending with cultism and other social vices and rising incidences of criminality, is indicative of the fact that as a country we failed to apply the appropriate measures that would have turned our swelling population to a veritable advantage. This neglect, when tied with the increasing number of out of school children, unemployment and poverty, the portents for our dear nation are bleak and warn of darker times ahead.”
He added, “But it is not all doom and gloom going by the policies and programmes that the Buhari administration has been implementing since 2015, which have empowered organisations such as ours to initiate and implement skills acquisition programmes like the NISDP, which graduation we are witnessing today.
“The NISDP was initiated in 2016 to not only facilitate the
achievement of the Federal Government policy on job and wealth creation and breed a new generation of entrepreneurs to transform the economic landscape of the country but above all drive the achievement of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).
“Since the inception of the NISDP, it has equipped thousands of Nigerians nationwide with skills for employability and entrepreneurship. This phase of the programme, in which the closing ceremony is taking place today, commenced in the third quarter of 2021. The training lasted for three (3) months. In all, at least 3905 Nigerians were equipped with skills in 2 trade areas namely, Catering and Event Management and Plumbing.
“In this Kwara State, 100 youths were trained in 50 Catering and Event and Plumbing and Pipe fitting. We believe that given the intensity and the very practical nature of the training, they were equipped with the necessary skills and attitudes for them to thrive as employees or as entrepreneurs.
“Ladies and gentlemen, despite the overwhelming impact of the ERGP, the Federal Government recently launched the National Development Plan
(NDP) 2021-2025 as a replacement for the ERGP and/or perhaps as a measure to address emerging challenges, given the breadth of the plan and its objectives. The vision of the NDP which is “to make Nigeria a country that has unlocked it’s potential in all sectors of the economy for a sustainable, holistic, and inclusive national development”, has six broad objectives: economic diversification, investment in infrastructure, security and good governance, educated and healthy population, poverty alleviation, and economic and social development across states. It also has seven cluster areas: Economic Growth and Development, Infrastructure, Public Administration, Human Capital Development, Social Development and Regional Development.
“The emphasis on poverty alleviation and human capital development among other things in the plan, to my mind, is a presidential charge for us as corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations and as individuals engaged in the human capacity development of Nigerians to up our game. From surveys conducted by ITF and similar organisations, despite the rising unemployment, there appear to be vacancies in the economy that are still being filled by foreigners because of the absence of Nigerians with the requisite skills to fill such openings. I believe that if Nigerians are equipped with the requisite skills, unemployment and poverty will be reduced and the attendant damages they have on all facets of our national life, as no reasonable analysis will divorce unemployment from the needless incidents of violence that have claimed thousands of lives across the nation, just as it will equally be difficult to separate rising criminality and harmful social vices that are being perpetrated by Nigerians and, therefore, we must strive to find a way to address these challenges.
“On our part, as the leading human capacity development institution in Nigeria, we are committed to implementing skills acquisition programmes to equip Nigerians with life skills for employability and entrepreneurship so that they can take advantage of the numerous policies of the Federal Government that are designed to boost the economy and improve the standard of living of Nigerians.
“It is in this guise that I wish to urge the beneficiaries, who will all be presented with start-up packs shortly, to resolve to utilise the opportunity provided by this training and the packs to improve their lives and contribute meaningfully to the Nigerian economy and actualisation of the policy objectives of the Federal Government.
“I wish to also appeal to State Governments, the Organised Private Sector (OPS), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Faith-Based Organisations, Politicians and other stakeholders to collaborate with the ITF in our efforts to train Nigerians, especially youths. Such collaboration could be by way of sponsorship of additional trainees for our various skills programmes, or by buying start-up packs for beneficiaries of the programmes. It is my firm belief that only through such collaborations will the Fund be able to train as many youths as possible to impact the Nigerian environment and finally solve the problems of unemployment and poverty.
“In conclusion, I want to once again thank His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kwara State for gracing this occasion and other distinguished guests for making this occasion a memorable one.”
Quadri in her speech pleaded with the Kwara State Government to partner with ITF by sponsoring more youths to acquire relevant skills.
According to her, this will alleviate poverty, address youth
restiveness and increase job and wealth creation in the economy.
She urged the beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity.
Quadri said, “It is with great honour to be here with you today to celebrate successful graduands of 2021 National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP). I can tell you that this is one of the best parts of my job, to participate, in this joyful, momentous occasion.
“The Industrial Training Fund, Ilorin Area Office has trained 100 indigenous of the state in Catering and Event Management and Plumbing and Pipe Fitting.
“The trainees were trained for three (3) months in their respective Trade Areas.
“At this juncture, I am calling on the State Government to partner with ITF by sponsoring more youths to acquire relevant skills; this will alleviate poverty, settle youth restiveness and increase job and Wealth creation in the economy.
“Graduation is a time to imagine your future and the world to come. When you think of the road ahead, you may gain perspective by looking back to where you have been and I hope that when you look back on your time at your various centres and your contact with Industrial Training Fund (ITF), you will do so with fondness and when you look ahead, you will see the ITF as part of your future.”
She added, “You will always be welcomed here and we look forward to hearing about your personal and professional achievements as you build the foundation provided by the various skills acquired.
“We also hope to continue to engage with you as graduands of our skills development programme as you travel forward to new adventures.
“As you begin a new stage in your life and experience, you can be confident that you CAN and will make the difference because like the NISDP graduands who had gone before you, you possess the knowledge, skills and attitude that are conferred by excellent training and graduation should never mean goodbye. Congratulations graduands of the 2021 National Industrial Skills Development Programme and my very
best wishes for you all…. Continue reading
