Sir Joseph N. Ari, the Director General/ Chief Executive of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), at an interface with stakeholders on strategies for job creation by the federal government on Monday, the 27Th May, 2019 in his welcome address says the pragmatic strategies actions swung into by ITF will create about 15 million direct and indirect jobs in four key sectors of the Nigeria economy namely: The Agriculture, Construction, Transport and Service sector.
On the commitment of the Buhari led fed. government to getting Nigerians engaged meaningfully, he said that the Buhari administration has made tremendous efforts to create jobs as could be seen in the increase of the number of people employed as cited by National Bureau of statistics(NBS) Report. He further remarked that the ITF has for instance equipped over 450,000 Nigerians with life skill and empowered all the beneficiaries with start up packs within the last two years. Over 80 percent of this number today are earning sustainable livelihood either in paid employment or are successful entrepreneurs who are even employing others. The stories are similar in a number of agencies with mandate to empower Nigerians with skill for employability and growth.
Sir Joseph Ari also note from experience that Government initiatives are only successful where the buy-in of the relevant stakeholders is secured. Is is more so for these initiatives that we are recommending , as they will rely on multi-agency and cross-sectorial collaboration for their success.
The Chief Executive, ITF who reveals that the task before them in the gathering is to critically appraise the report that will be presented shortly, contribute ideas on it’s improvements and areas that the group will assist the government either through funding or by technical assistance. While admitting that the challenge before them is huge and quite tasking, he also expressed confidence in the array of personalities and technocrats in the meeting and hope without doubt that what will emerged from the stakeholders meeting eventually will mark the beginning of the end of unemployment in Nigeria.
In a key note address by the Hon. Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, DR. OKECHUKWU ENELAMAH ably represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Edet S. Akpan
congratulate the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and her esteemed Agency, the Industrial Training Fund on the the victory of Mr. President, which he said has further strengthened their resolve to stem rising unemployment by creating jobs through the provision of employable skills for the teeming youths of Nigeria.
He said the meeting is to sustain and build on the successes recorded in this regard in the first tenure of Mr. President therefore , articulating and strategizing with a renewed impetus towards combatting the twin evils of unemployment and insecurity.
It is on this basis that the Ministry charged the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to come up with revolutionary multi-faceted job wealth creation strategies that would lead to a lasting solution to this hydra-headed problem.
“I am aware of several studies especially the ITF/UNIDO Skills Gap Assessment of Six Priority Sectors of the Nigerian Economy, which was presented to the public last year, identified the four sectors that were focused on by the ITF report as those that vacancies still exist but cannot be filled by Nigerians because of the absence of requisite knowledge and skills to man those sectors.
On this premise therefore, the ITF report now provides us the opportunity to chart a roadmap for the engagement of Nigerians in these sectors. I need not remind you that as you brainstorm and articulate ideas using your various professional experiences, technical capacity and ingenuity, you are also expected to proffer innovative and pragmatic solutions that will pave the way for job creation leading to growth and development of the nation’s economy through entrepreneurship and increased Growth Domestic Product (GDP)”
While expressing confidence in ITF report to provide 20 million jobs in the four key sectors of the Nigeria economy he therefore, admitted that the onerous task before them is to generate ideas on how best to defeat unemployment using these four key sectors.
He further assures that the Ministry will be working tirelessly to ensure that government programmes on ease of doing business is actualized at all and that the private sector is repositioned for prosperity and economic diversification. The Ministry and by extension, the Federal Government believes that given the mix of personalities in this meeting, a lasting solution to unemployment is on the way, he said.
While declaring the meeting open, he wish them all the very best in what he described as a noble assignment and thank them for accepting to shoulder the gargantuan responsibility.
