Audu Ogwunenwa Jos.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Otunba Niyi Adebayo has declared that the federal government is doing all it entails to lift the country out of poverty and youth unemployment in the country.
According to him, the policies includes, the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), the Economic Sustainability Plan and the various support schemes for the MSMEs sectors of the economy.
Otunba Adebayo stated this on Thursday at the 2020 ITF Merit awards ceremony held at the corporate headquarters of the organisation in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
He used the occasion to Commend the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) for equipping the youths with requisite skills and trainings that can take the country out of poverty and further generate unemployment adding that the score card presented by DG ITF Joe Ari, depicted that the Fund has not relented in its efforts to effectively discharge on its Mandate.
Represented at the event by Director of Human Resources Management of the Ministry Mr Samuel Alabi, the Minister noted that ITF is one Agency that has been at the forefront of these efforts adding that it has become a dependable ally of the Federal Government by the Implementation of several skills intervention programmes that have trained over 500,000 since the Director-General, Sir Joseph Ari, assumed office in 2016.
“It is for this reason and in appreciation of its contributions to National growth, that the Council for the Development of the Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), headed by His Excellency, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, GCON, rewarded the ITF with the prestigious Award of Excellence as Outstanding MSMEs Clinic Star Partner and the Award for outstanding contribution to the development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Nigeria respectively.
He said it was also for contributions that it was made a member of the MSMEs Council, which is headed by the Vice President and member of the MSMEs Survival Fund under the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan.
“It is equally noteworthy that the ITF has been mentioned and identified by the Presidency as the foremost Agency of Government at the forefront of Federal Governments Job and wealth creation policy.
The Fund was among the few Agencies requested by the Federal Government to forward submissions on the best approach to lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty” he said.
He urged the ITF Management not to relent in empowering Nigerians with technical skills, but to train more Nigerians and by so doing etch the name of the ITF in gold and called on the State Governments, Non-Governmental Organisations, Faith-Based Organisations and other well-meaning Nigerians to collaborate with the ITF to tackle the challenges of poverty and unemployment that is bedevilling our dear Nation.
The Director General of the Fund Mr. Joe Ari in his opening remarks said ITF was among the few Agencies requested by the Federal Government to forward submissions on lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
According to him, If the proposal, which is currently receiving the attention of the authorities is assented to, the ITF will train over 7million Nigerians in the Agriculture, Construction and Facility Maintenance, Information and Communication Technology, Manufacturing and Services sectors between 2021 and 2031.
He added that the Fund has have declared the year 2021 “Skills Escalation for Prosperity,” and has commenced processes for the implementation of more skills intervention programmes.
Said he:”The Programmes earmarked for implementation are the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), the Construction Skills Empowerment Programme (CONSEP), the Skills Training and Empowerment Programme for the Physically Challenged (STEPP-C), the Passion to Profession Programme (P2PP), and the Agri-Preneurship Training Programme (ATP)”
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