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ITF Unveils 2022 – 2025 Strategic Policy Direction For Vocational Skills Program
The Industrial Training Fund formally unveil our strategic policy direction for 2022 – 2025.
This is contained in a statement issued to Journalists by the Director-general/Chief Executive of the Industrial Training Fund, Sir Joseph Ari, at a media briefing in Jos, Monday.
According to the ITF Boss, “This Strategic Policy Direction is the third of such plans by the incumbent administration in the Industrial Training Fund (ITF). You will recall that on assumption of office in 2016, we unveiled the ITF Reviewed Vision: Strategies for Mandate Actualization.”
“The plan, which was initially slated to terminate in 2022, was, however, reviewed in 2020 to address gaps that were identified in the course of its implementation, and for us to appropriately respond to the negative impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on our numerous clients. adsbygoogle || []).push({}); ”
He reiterated that, ”While it lasted, the plan enabled the ITF to aggressively address service challenges by computerizing our operations, tackling infrastructural challenges to expand access to Nigerians desirous of acquiring skills, and generally address a gamut of other strictures that were impinging on our ability to effectively discharge our mandate for National economic growth and development and the general good of the Nigerian people.”
He however, lamented that, “Despite the numerous achievements recorded by the Fund on account of these initiatives, we have realized that more needs to be done if we must fully tackle the numerous socio-economic problems that are bedevilling us as a Nation.”
He further stated that, “given the nature of your profession, you should be acutely aware that unemployment in Nigeria today is at over 33% as over 23 million Nigerians that are desirous to work cannot find jobs, mostly because of the absence of requisite skills.
“Poverty is equally on the rise with some estimates placing the number of Nigerians that are living in poverty to be over 90 million. In the face of all these, our population has continued to soar with the World Bank estimating that Nigeria might hit 216 million by the end of this year.
“Equally worrisome is the spectre of the Out of School Children, which according to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) is projected to be over 18.5 million.”
“It is based on the above and in line with our mandate of Developing a vast pool of skilled manpower sufficient to meet the needs of the public and private sectors of the national economy coupled with resolutions at the recently concluded ITF National Skills Summit in Abuja that we found it imperative to review and refocus our strategies to address the above challenges and to meet the skills requirement of the nation in line with global best practices.
“In arriving at our strategies, we considered the need to scale up our activities to address the soaring unemployment and other socio-economic challenges by leveraging on our three Es (Experience, Expertise and Expansive network), deployment of technology for wider coverage and more flexible service delivery.”, Ari explained.
The new policy framework, which has as its theme: Re-Engineering Skills for Sustainable Development according to Ari, has external and internal components;
The ITF Boss further said that, “The internal components of the plan, which entail value reorientation, Industrial Development, Commercialization of ITF Facilities, Alternative Funding Window, Deployment and Promotion, Annual Budget Preparation and, Revenue Generation are intended to drive the external components of the new policy direction, which covers Standardization and Certification, Technical and Vocational Skills Training Programmes, Skills Intervention Programmes, Electronic and Virtual Learning and, Optimal Utilization of Skills Training Centres (STCs) and Vocational Wings (VWs). ”
According to him, he further revealed that, ”Standardization and Certification as the core aspects of the Mandate of the Industrial Training Fund, specifically, Section 2 subsections c and d of the ITF Act 2011, vest the ITF with the responsibility to set training standards in all sectors of the economy and monitor adherence; and evaluate and certify vocational skills acquired by apprentices, craftsmen and technicians in collaboration with relevant organisations.
In this area, the Fund will focus on ensuring full adherence to standards and regulating vocational skills training outfits through the accreditation of skills training centres and certification of all skills training in line with the Act.”
To actualise this, he said that, “the Fund will develop National Occupational Standards (NOS); Evaluate and certify apprentices, technicians and craftsmen; Train and certify learning and development professionals and; Create and maintain a data bank on skills training.”
Another key area of the Fund’s mandate, the ITF Boss said, “is the Technical and Vocational Skills programmes.
”Despite our commendable achievements in this regard, the Fund is set to refocus Technical and Vocational Skills Training for employability and economic growth by facilitating the institutionalization of the National Apprenticeship and Traineeship System (NATS).
”To actualize this, the Fund will collaborate with relevant public and private stakeholders for NATS; appraise and harmonize Apprenticeship programmes in line with set guidelines; conduct monitoring and evaluation and; design and develop technical and vocational skills programmes in line with the needs of the economy.
Saying that, “When fully in place, our plan will ensure a pool of highly skilled indigenous apprentices, technicians and craftsmen as well as an institutionalized National Apprenticeship and Traineeship System (NATS). ”
”Cognisant of the fact that technical skills are integral to the growth and development of societies across the globe, the incumbent management since its assumption of office in 2016, has been committed to equipping Nigerians with technical and vocational skills for employability and entrepreneurship.
”In this regard, to further address the problems of rising unemployment and under-employment, the Fund is re-engineering its skills intervention programmes through National Apprenticeship and Traineeship System (NATS).
”To achieve this, the Fund will register as a super certification centre; extend the duration of skills intervention programmes in line with NATS (six months for traineeship and one year for apprenticeship); procure and provide start-up packs for trainees in the succeeding year; design and develop skills intervention programmes; identify and engage accredited Skills Training Centres and certified craftsmen; implement, monitor and follow up intervention programmes and; evaluate and certify trainees.
“The intended outcome of this strategy is to have at least a total of 27,000 skilled and employable youths (18,000 trained youths under the NATS and 9,000 youth under the NISDP and other intervention programmes) and increased SMEs and Entrepreneurs to meet the Nation’s economic needs.”
“In this area, the Fund will provide the enabling environment to foster creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and employability through its skills training centres by:
“Upgrading three of its skills training centres to Centres for Advanced Skills Training for Employment (CASTE)
“Embedding production Hubs, Skills/e-Hubs as well as creative and innovative hubs in its Skills training Centres and Vocational wings and,
“Utilizing existing skills training Centres to develop the capacity of technical instructors.
“In this regard, the Fund will equip Training Centres with state-of-the-art facilities, partner with relevant stakeholders for training placement as well as identify the competitive advantage of the centres for production purposes. We will also introduce instructors’ training in three (3) designated Skills Training Centres, advertise and deploy the Centre’s facilities and equipment for commercial use, engage trainees in the design and development of products and establish creative and innovative clinics. In addition, it will develop entrepreneurs and rename all Industrial Skills Training Centres as ITF Skills Training Centres (ITF STCs).
“With this strategy, we will now have three (3) Centres for Advanced Skills Training for Employment (CASTE) in Lagos, Kano and Jos as well as well-equipped training centres and vocational wings; train 450 Instructors annually; maximize investment and improve our revenue base.
“We believe that the new Policy framework if fully implemented will place us in better stead to fully implement our mandate and drive the achievement of Federal Government’s goals with particular reference to unemployment, poverty and their associated consequences.
“Our belief is premised on the fact that countries all over the world that had dealt with and have successfully solved the problems that we are currently confronting today, did it through a greater commitment to skills acquisition.
“For instance, to handle its youth bulge in the 70s and 80s, China under the leadership of Mao Zedong, Hua Guofeng and Zhao Ziyang who ruled the country during that period, invested heavily in the capacity development of its people. The outcome of this investment is evident today as China has moved from near third world to the 2nd largest economy and one of the most industrialised countries on earth.
“In Germany, about two decades ago, there was mass unemployment with roughly five million unemployed people and low employment rates to the extent that it was labelled “the sick man in Europe”.
“Today, nearly two-thirds of young Germans are enrolled in apprenticeships once they leave full-time education using the German Dual Vocational and educational training (DVT), nine out of ten young trainees get a permanent job at the end, with others being offered shorter-term contracts.
“Germany is now dubbed a job wonderland and European champion with regard to its high employment rates. We believe that we can replicate similar successes in Nigeria giving greater commitment to skills acquisition that is considered by many today as the currency of the 21st Century.”
Author Profile
- Prince Abdulrahman Obaje is a Media and ICT Consultant, Journalist, online marketer, social media strategist, Mathematician and Computer Scientist based in Abuja, Nigeria. He is the Founder and the Publisher of The Informavores!. You can reach me on +234 805 939 5252 or send i-witness report directly to me on news@informavores.com.ng.
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2023: “Tinubu Championing Modern democracy with power of delegation” – Senator Kalu
Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has said that the ability of the Presidential flag bearer of the All Progressive’s Congress (APC) , Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu to delegate responsibilities to competent persons in Authority will be beneficial for the country when eventually elected.
Shedding more light, the former Abia Governor noted that Tinubu’s skill to assign responsibilities is in line with the contemporary requirements of modern democracy, noting that the era of leaders single handedly conceiving and executing policies was over.
Kalu made this assertion while speaking on Political Paradigm, a political programme of Channels Television aired on Monday.
The Chieftain of the ruling APC cited the rapid growth of Lagos State to back his assertion, explaining that Tinubu as Governor had set the stage for development in the state. Kalu maintained the consistent political platform of Lagos put in place by the former Lagos Governor since 1999 has added to the growth and development witnessed in the state over the years.
He said ; “Tinubu will be one of the greatest Presidents we shall ever have because of the skill of delegation. He has the skill and the modern way of leading people is no longer everything (Powers) to yourself.
“You must assign the job to other people who are competent , you must tell the people to do it and he has proven that as Governor of Lagos and after.
“Why Lagos is growing is because the leadership has been under one route and political party since 1999. So consistency matters a lot. I believe that Tinubu will do a lot of things differently for the benefit of Nigerians especially the business people.
“Lagos is a business center and he knows we can’t Govern effectively without involving the business people,so we have to enter a strong partnership with them.
“When people said Buhari wasn’t going to support Bola Tinubu, we went to the President and told him this is our party it’s not about anybody and you can see the President has come out willingly to identify and campaign for our party .
Responding to questions on the alleged ill health of the APC Presidential Candidate, Senator Orji Kalu dismissed the claims describing them as mere public insinuations.
Kalu clarified that Bola Tinubu was very stable and healthy, he revealed that the Presidential hopeful works round the clock to attend to campaign activities and retires to bed at “3am” Daily.
Kalu added that it was normal for humans above the age of 40 years to witness few health challenges, which however can be managed to function effectively.
“His (Tinubu’s) health is very stable. No man above 40 is not sick. There is not one, no Nigerian above 40 that is not sick,” Kalu said on the pre-recorded Channels TV Programme.
The APC chieftain also stressed that some political opponents forged incoherent statements attributed to Tinubu at rallies.
“These are things you people go to forge on the internet. All these things can be forged by political opponents,” he said.
Author Profile
- Prince Abdulrahman Obaje is a Media and ICT Consultant, Journalist, online marketer, social media strategist, Mathematician and Computer Scientist based in Abuja, Nigeria. He is the Founder and the Publisher of The Informavores!. You can reach me on +234 805 939 5252 or send i-witness report directly to me on news@informavores.com.ng.
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Xmas: Ajia Felicitates with Christians, Solicits For Prayers Over National Challenges
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP House of Representatives candidate for Ilorin West and Asa Federal Constituency Ibrahim Muhammed Ajia has felicitated with Christians in the country on the occasion of Christmas which is a commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, urging them to use the festive season to pray fervently for the nation to overcome its present challenges.
Ajia in a Christmas message issued by his Media Team in Ilorin on the Christmas Day, calls on Christians to continue to live in peace, harmony and tolerance with adherents of other religions.
In his greetings, “I felicitate with all Nigerians, especially Christian brothers and sisters on the joyous occasion of this year’s Christmas.
“On this occasion commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, let us all recommit ourselves to the virtues and ideals of peace, love and justice as exemplified by the Christ.
The House of Reps candidate added that, Christians must never forget the essence and lessons of Christmas by always reflecting on the teachings of the Messiah who paid the ultimate price for the benefit of mankind..
He admonished Christians to mould their lives after Jesus Christ, by showing love to people around them and be their brothers’ keepers at all times.
Ajia however reiterated the PDP’s commitment to the people’s welfare and assured them of his readiness to be fair and just to the people of his constituency irrespective of their religious differences.
The Founder of MAI Foundation distributes rice and cash gift to the Christian faithful in his constituency to further demonstrate his readiness to support the needy within his constituency irrespective of their backgrounds.
He therefore reaffirms his commitment to partner with every Community Development Association, Religious leaders and groups in order to maintain peaceful coexistence and bringing rapid growth and sustainable development to Asa and Ilorin West Federal Constituency.
Author Profile
- Prince Abdulrahman Obaje is a Media and ICT Consultant, Journalist, online marketer, social media strategist, Mathematician and Computer Scientist based in Abuja, Nigeria. He is the Founder and the Publisher of The Informavores!. You can reach me on +234 805 939 5252 or send i-witness report directly to me on news@informavores.com.ng.
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2023 Elections: Why CBN Cashless Policy is Raising Dusts
The Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations (CNCSOS) has raised alarm over the recent developement concerning the CBN cashless policy.
This is contained in a world press conference by the coalition in Abuja today.
The group said, “As you all know, the country was jolted when a group of human rights lawyers and some civil society organisations raised the alarm that there was a plot to frame the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele in terrorism financing allegation.”
“The gravity of what Nigeria was confronted with came to the front burner when members of the group revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS) had even gone to the extent of approaching the court to obtain a warrant to arrest Godwin Emefiele without the consent or knowledge of the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari. adsbygoogle || []).push({}); ”
“The Coalition of National Interest Defenders, which brought the development to the open, went ahead to allege that the plot was to keep Mr. Emefiele for at least 60 days until after the general elections next year. This should ring a bell when we recall that this alleged plot is coming immediately after the redesign of the naira notes and the review of the cash withdrawal limits for both individuals and organisations.”
“We have all hailed the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria such that even the corrupt politicians who are opposing the cash withdrawal limits acknowledge that it is the way to go but that the timing was wrong. They also sort to get wavers for election spending. Why are they looking for wavers? They want to use our stolen commonwealth to buy our votes.”
“In view of the current revelation, we are afraid that the State Security Service is derailing from its statutory role to becoming a tool in the hands of desperate politicians. This is dangerous for the country and must be discouraged at any cost.”
“Those who wants to receive and spend money without any traces are those who have been kicking against the cashless policy of the CBN. If you have legitimate money, why are you afraid to wire the money through bank transfers? Why are you afraid of cash withdrawal limits? There is no limit to the amount you can transfer through the bank but because they are having our stolen money, they don’t want to make traceable transactions and that is the sin of Godwin Emefiele. That’s why they want him out of the way before the election so that someone who can do their biddings is appointed to reverse the cashless policy implementation.”
“We must note that President Muhammadu Buhari has shown maximum support for the economic stability and reform efforts of the CBN Governor and that was probably why they wanted to remove him from office without the consent of Mr. President.”
“At this juncture, we hail the Nigerian judiciary for refusing to be used for the planned hatchet job. It is unfortunate but it happened.”
“According to reports, the affidavit filed by the State Security Service in support of its application claimed that preliminary investigation had revealed various acts of terrorism financing and fraudulent activities perpetrated by Godwin Emefiele and his involvement in economic crimes of national security dimension but there was no evidence. Hence, the court rejected to issue order for the arrest of the CBN Governor. Even, the identity of the said Godwin Emefiele, as the sole respondent, was not clearly stated in the affidavit according to the court, which made the plot more of a shoddy deal.”
“And, in view of a reasonable suspicion that some politicians may have influenced the State Security Service in the planned arrest of Godwin Emefiele, we join well-meaning Nigerians and groups to the call on President Buhari and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to immediately put in motion the processes of suspending and thoroughly investigating the circumstances surrounding this national and international embarrassment. The attempt to obtain a backyard order to remove a high ranking officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for obvious political reasons should be of serious concern to all Nigerians as we don’t know who will be the next.”
“”By virtue of Section 150(1) and Section 174 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the Attorney-General of the Federation has the powers to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court of law in Nigeria. Therefore, nothing stops the Attorney-General of the Federation from exercising his powers in this matter to send a clear signal to the international community that Nigeria is not a banana republic, where anything goes. If public office holders who err are not appropriately sanctioned, it will send a wrong signal to foreign investors and project Nigeria as a country without rule of law.
“”This is paramount as Section 174 (3) expressly stated that “In exercising his powers under this section, the Attorney-General of the Federation shall have regard to the public interest, the interest of justice and the need to prevent abuse of legal process.” What is primarily at stake here is public interest.
“”We hereby urge President Muhammadu Buhari and the CBN Governor never to relent in their efforts to place Nigeria among the best 20 economies in the world in line with the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“”We assure Mr. Godwin Emefiele that Nigerians on the streets, who are in pains of starvation and hunger due to the continued looting of public funds meant for their well-being by some politicians, are standing with him and will vehemently resist any attempt to derail the cashless policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“”We also commend the Federal Government on the exemplary leadership with the ban on cash withdrawals from public accounts. The stoppage of cash withdrawal from all public accounts is another legacy in the war against corruption and electoral fraud by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. The ban on cash withdrawals and subsequent directive to public officers to immediately open domiciliary accounts in foreign and local currencies ahead of the commencement of the cash withdrawal policy will deepen the gains of the cashless policy of the federal government through the CBN.
Author Profile
- Prince Abdulrahman Obaje is a Media and ICT Consultant, Journalist, online marketer, social media strategist, Mathematician and Computer Scientist based in Abuja, Nigeria. He is the Founder and the Publisher of The Informavores!. You can reach me on +234 805 939 5252 or send i-witness report directly to me on news@informavores.com.ng.
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