The Industrial Training Fund, ITF, has trained 500,000 Nigerians on various entrepreneurial skills in the last few years.
The ITF Director-General, Joseph Ari, made the disclosure during an event organised by the staff and management of the ITF to mark his reappointment, in Jos, the Plateau State capital, under the tag: ‘The Transformation Train Continues’.
According to him, aside from the training, eight completed “giant projects” spread across the country are awaiting commissioning.
“We have trained over 500,000 Nigerians that are today using the skills acquired to earn sustainable livelihoods,” Mr Ari said.
He added that the ITF has also expanded, completed and commissioned previously abandoned training infrastructure in Kano, Katsina, Lagos and Plateau states.
Mr Ari said the establishment of six new area offices in Lafia, Gwagwalada, Badagry, Owerri Rumoukwuta, and Abakaliki in Nasarawa, FCT, Lagos, Imo and Ebonyi states respectively have increased access to the Fund’s services.
According to him, these new offices have brought about an exponential increase in the number of Nigerians that are trained by the Fund.
He said these achievements recorded by him, together with management and staff of the Fund, earned him the endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari, “who graciously approved my reappointment”.
“I wish to extend my profound appreciation to President Muhammad Bulgari for first appointing me as Director-General/CE and for giving me another opportunity to further contribute my quota to the development of our dear country by reappointing me for another four-year term,” Mr Ari said.
He further appreciated the supervising Ministers of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adebayo and Maryam Katagun.
“I must also express my deepest gratitude to you – the ITF workforce- for this achievement,” he said.
Mr Ari, therefore, charged the staff to be more active, effective, resilient and, “work with greater intensity as unto God”.
“In essence, every staff of the Fund must from today resolve to justify their place in the new ITF,” he said.
