ITF @ 50: Fund has made remarkable feats – Ari

The Industrial Training Funds (ITF) has remarkably done well in the discharge of its mandate in the last 50 years, its director-general, Dr. Joseph Ari, has said.

He said the mission and vision of the funds are not only remarkably pursuits but that infrastructure and Staff welfare have been upgraded.

Mr. Ari stated this Friday at the 50th anniversary of the Fund in Jos.

He said all former DGs of the Fund had individually left remarkable land marks of policies and programmes that lead to its growth and development.

“These patriots; Dr. Abel Ubeku, Mrs. Nene Archibong, Alhaji Muhammad Dikko, Alhaji Lawal Tudun Wada, Alhaji Hassan Ahmad II, Prof. Olu Emenifo Akerejola, Prof. Longmas Sambo Waomuk, Dr. Juliet Chukkas Onaeko, have left indelible footprints and legacies that have ensured that the organisation has not merely survived, but continually remained relevant to the achievement of national policy goals and objectives,” he said.

According to him, his administration had in 2016 unveiled the first phase of the ITF “reviewed vision: strategies for mandate actualisation.”

“Under the plan, new skills intervention programmes were introduced while existing programmes were expanded, leading to the training of over 500,000 Nigerians with cutting-edge technical skills in four years. The beneficiaries were all empowered with start-up packs for the first since establishment of the Fund.”

The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Mariam Katagum, in her remarks, said the ITF being one of the key agencies of the government had accounted for many successes and achievements that the Ministry had made.

“It is in appreciation of its vital role that in 2018, the ITF was named as star partner for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development in Nigeria and again recognises in 2019 with the award of excellence as outstanding MSMEs clinic partner,” she said.

In his remarks, the Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong, said the state had benefitted a lot from the Fund.

“The time for educational certificates is over. Only skills development can help take away Nigerians out economic problems,” he said.