Connect with us

Business

ITF Trains 10m Nigerians In 40 yrs

Published

on

The Director General of

the Industrial Development Fund (ITF) Prof. Longmas Wapmuk, has said that the body has trained 10 million Nigerians in technical and vocational skills since its establishment 40 years ago.

Wapmuk made the disclosure while receiving Chief Samuel Ortom, the Minister of State, Trade and Investment, on Monday in Jos, saying that technical and vocational skills were necessary for the transformational agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“For the transformational efforts and indeed, Vision 20-2020 to become a reality, greater emphasis has to be paid to technical vocational skills acquisition.

“Countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Brazil have taken this route to great results, and the ITF is desirous of herding Nigeria the way of these countries,” he said.  To achieve this, Wapmuk said the ITF was establishing 36 new skills training centres, 11 additional area offices, 11 mobile training units and a model ICT Centre.

The D-G said that the organisation had re-tooled and re-equipped its existing Skills Centres in Ikeja, Kano and Jos while the Lokoja Centre would be completed soon. According to him, the ITF is collaborating with overseas institutions in Israel, Brazil and the U.K., adding that collaborations with Singapore led to the establishment of the Model Skills Training Centre in Abuja.

He commended  President Jonathan for assenting to the amended ITF Act, saying that it would spur the Fund to embark on fresh initiatives that would generate employment, create wealth, reduce poverty and minimise youth restiveness. Wapmuk, however, regretted that the Fund’s quest to execute its laudable programmes was being hampered by dwindling resources arising from the lull in industrial activities.

He said that the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) was draining ITF’s resources, appealing to the Federal Government to create a separate portfolio to administer the scheme like the NYSC.

The Minister said that the President was in a hurry to achieve maximum results within the shortest possible time and tasked the Fund to rise up to its responsibilities.

“There is no more time for excuses, experiments, paper work; but it’s time for action, translating all that we’ve been planning for the past 50 years to reality so that Nigerians can feel the impact.”  Ortom appealed to State Governments and graduates to avail themselves of the opportunities in the ITF to empower themselves with relevant skills that would make them self-reliant and employers of labour. “Time has come that it is impossible for government to give employment to all our teeming youths who are graduates and roaming the streets.

“But if skills are acquired, somehow, they will be put into use; I want to also use this forum to encourage Nigerians, who are out there in the streets, especially graduates, to make available themselves to the opportunities that we have in ITF,” he said.

Continue Reading

Business

NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

Published

on

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Continue Reading

Business

ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

Published

on

National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Continue Reading

Business

NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

Published

on

In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
Continue Reading

Trending