The Rivers State Government has tasked the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to establish a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team that would monitor graduands who were trained and established by the training organisation.
The State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, who gave the change on Wednesday during the 2023 National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP) in Port Harcourt, said this will ensure that the graduands did not sell their starter packs, but rather become employers of labour.
The Governor, who was represented at the occasion by a Director in the Ministry of Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment, Mr Napoluem Akpe, commended the Training organisation for complimenting the mandate of the State Government in empowering the youths with employable skills in conmtemplary space .
He lauded the ITF’s objectives of helping young Nigerians to explore the option in starting their own businesses as a rear and viable carrier option, saying “providing training, guidance and business mentorship to young and potential entrepreneurs is a welcome development”.
He commended the graduands of NISDP for a successful training, reminding them that they have acquired new skills which will add value to themselves, their families and the society at large.
The Governor solicited for more closer partnership that has existed in the past between ITF and the State Government, adding that together they will build and achieve a better terms of empowerment and better peaceful environment in Rivers State.
Earlier, the Director General and Chief Executive of ITF, Dr. Afiz Oluwatonyin Ogun, assured the Governor that his leadership will work closely with the State Government to facilitate the achievement of the policies and goals of the Federal Government, stating that ITF is an agency vested with the mandate of human capital development in the nation.
Ogun explained that the NISDP is a transformative brainchild of ITF, which focuses on skills acquisition to creat jobs to curb the rampant unemployment situation in the country and breed a new generation of entrepreneurs, in order to transform the economic landscape of the country.
He noted that the ITF, through the NISDP scheme, has trained and equipped over 500,000 Nigerians nation wide with cutting-edge skills in various trades.
The ITF boss explained that the organisation’s commitment to skills acquisition was based on the fact that it is the most sustainable solution to combatting unemployment, reducing poverty and youth restiveness in the country.
According to him, “it is universally accepted that any society that neglects the development of its human capital is bound to retrogress in terms of growth and development”.
Ogun expressed regret that in Nigeria the situation is worrisome as even in the face of existing vacancies in several sectors of the National economy, youths roam the streets without any form of gainful employment, giving rise to crimes and other social vices that bedevil the nation.
In her welcome address, the Port Harcourt Area Manager, NISDP, Mrs Ifeyinwa Osagie, said the graduands were recruited in collaboration with yministry of Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment and the scheme was designed and developed by ITF to equip the youth between the ages of 18 and 35 years with the requisite skills, knowledge and attitude needed to creat wealth for themselves and the nation at large.
Osagie informed that a total of 120 youths of the state were trained in three selected trades areas which includes, Solar power installation, POP and Painting, and Tailoring and fashion design.

By: Ike Wigodo