The Industrial Training Fund (ITF), says it paid a total sum of N 1.1 billion as students and supervisory allowance, under the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) in 2023.
The Director General (D-G) of ITF, Dr Afiz Ogun, said this on Saturday in Jos, during the fund’s 2023 Performance Review Meeting and Merit Award Ceremony.
Ogun, said the sum of N733,035,000, was paid to 48,869 university students, N232,970,00, to 23,297 polytechnic students, and the sum of N72,380,000 was paid to 7,238 students from the colleges of education.
According to the D-G, the agency during the year under review, also paid a total of N13,805,143,635 to 580 companies as reimbursement for the year 2023.
He said the reimbursement of the 580 companies, was in line with ITF’s enabling act to reimburse contributing employers up to 50 per cent of the statutory annual training contribution by them, if the Governing Council was satisfied by the training outline of the employers.
Ogun also disclosed that the fund in 2023, through its various skills intervention programmes, trained and empowered more than 42,000 Nigerians with various skills and start up packs.
He said the Skill-up Artisans (SUPA) programme, was a transformative initiative by the Federal Government, which was committed to up skilling, licensing and empowerment of five million Nigerians yearly.
He said the aim of the initiative was to help skill up artisans with the requisite skills of global standards.
He further said the SUPA programme, showed the government’s commitment to promote economic development and improve the standard of living of the citizens.
Ogun noted that apart from driving national development, the programme would ensure the availability of skilled workforce for the country’s domestic industries, and would in turn create a sustainable pipeline for labour export.
According to him, the Fund has commenced the collation of data on Nigerian artisans, while awaiting the official launch of the programme by President Bola Tinubu.
in his remarks, Gov. Caleb Mutfwang, of Plateau, commended the fund for its contribution towards the training and empowerment of youths in the country with requisite skills.
Mutfwang, who was represented by his Commissioner for Science and Technology, Prof Obed Nanjul, assured the fund of the state government’s unflinching support.
The Tide’s source reports that awards were given to the Best Area office in Training Activities, Best Area Office in Revenue Generation and Best Performing Area office under categories A,B and C.
The Tide source further reports that the Isolo Area Office in Lagos, emerged as the overall best in training activities and overall best performing area office in 2023.