The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has lamented that despite federal government’s efforts to reduce unemployment, lack of jobs has been the leading cause of security challenges bedevilling Nigeria.
ITF however urged synergy and collaboration with organised private sector, governments and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to escalate skill acquisition in various critical sectors, create massive job opportunities and imbibe in the youth entrepreneurship to address the social and security challenges and as well boost the flagging Nigerian economy.
Addressing an interactive forum with stakeholders in Kaduna on Wednesday, ITF Director General, Sir Joseph Ari, said, “It’s because of the urgent need to create jobs through technical vocation skills acquisition that ITF declared this year as the year of skills escalation for prosperity in order to empower Nigerians with skills for entrepreneurship and job creation.
The Director General, who was represented by the Area Manager, ITF Kaduna Office Malam Yahaya Manu, explained that the Interactive Forum with the theme, “Employment Skills Escalation: the Role of ITF and stakeholders” aimed at bridging the skills gap, engage in deliberations and take decisions for the development of the country.
“ITF conducted a skills gap survey of the agriculture and agro-allied, textile, construction, infrastructure, health and information and communication technology sectors for the Kaduna state government,” he said.
Representative of Kaduna state Ministry of Business, Innovation and Technology, Mr. Baye Peter Nama, said the state had partnered Bank of Industry (BOI) and Kaduna Business School to train and over 5,000 youth on entrepreneur.
He explained that the state government also linked beneficiaries to either start up or grow existing businesses.
Baye further explained that the government developed a framework for the management of innovation persons and ideas in the state.
A resource person, Mr Moshood Adegbite in a paper he presented, emphasized the need for Industrial Training Fund to focus more on the less privileged people in the country in order to give them sense of belonging.
