ITF targets 200,000 more artisans for training in 2026
JOS – The Industrial Training Fund, ITF, has targeted another 200,000 artisans for training in 2026 under its Skill-Up Artisans, SUPA, programme, its Director-General and Chief Executive, Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, has disclosed.
Ogun disclosed this on Thursday in Jos while addressing staff and stakeholders at the celebration of the 55th anniversary of the Fund and his third year in office as Director-General.
He said hundreds of thousands of artisans had already been trained under the first three phases of SUPA, while more than 7,000 artisans had undergone international certification examinations.
According to him, the programme was designed to train, retrain, standardise, certify and professionalise artisanal practice in Nigeria.
He said, “In the first three phases, SUPA has trained hundreds of thousands of artisans, with another 200,000 targeted for training in 2026.”
Ogun said the Fund had also moved away from the traditional starter-pack model by introducing three sustainable exit pathways , Talent Export, Industry Placement and Business Incubation , to provide beneficiaries with opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
He disclosed that the ITF had assessed 1,308 training centres nationwide and approved 776, as part of efforts to expand access to quality vocational and technical training.
The ITF boss said the Fund had also strengthened partnerships with local and international institutions to ensure that Nigerian skills development and certification met global standards.
He said the Fund had collaborated with institutions including Alberk QA Technic of Turkey, City & Guilds of the United Kingdom, ASQ Solutions UK, Japan’s METI and AOTS.
Ogun said the ITF had also become one of only seven approved City & Guilds examination centres in Nigeria.
He said his administration had, in the last three years, pursued a deliberate transformation agenda aimed at repositioning the ITF as a leading institution for skills development, workforce enhancement and national economic growth.
He said critical operations, including SIWES management, reimbursement processing, document archiving, staff attendance management and SUPA administration, had been digitised to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability.
Ogun said the Fund had also strengthened its quality assurance framework through the recertification of its ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and adoption of the ISO 17024 Certification of Persons framework.
He disclosed that customer satisfaction ratings had risen above 90 per cent following the introduction of customer-focused service delivery systems.
On infrastructure, the DG said his administration had completed several projects, including the renovation of the main office complex, Corpers Lodge and Modern Skills Academy in Jos, as well as a fuel station at the ITF headquarters.
He said other completed projects included staff quarters in Port Harcourt, the Model Skills Training Centre in Enugu and renovation of the Akure Area Office.
Ogun said a specialised Mechatronics and ICT Training Centre was under construction in Ikare-Akoko, while solar energy projects were ongoing at several ITF facilities.
He also disclosed that Nigeria had been admitted as the 83rd member of WorldSkills International, while the WorldSkills Academy had been established in Abuja.
According to him, the initiatives would create opportunities for Nigerian artisans and technical professionals to compete favourably in the global labour market.
Ogun urged staff of the Fund to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and its policies, saying the Federal Government’s programmes were friendly to skills development and human capital growth.
He urged the workforce to align with the government’s programmes and contribute their quota to the successful implementation of policies aimed at transforming the Nigerian economy.
He said, “We, as the Fund’s incumbent workforce, must resolve to be more proactive, effective, creative, and resilient, and to work with greater intensity as unto God.”
Ogun said his vision was to build an ITF that would be recognised across borders as a leading learning and development agency capable of contributing significantly to Nigeria’s economic growth.
He said, “Personally, I want to see an ITF known across borders as the leading learning and development Agency that Nigerians can depend on to facilitate the development of the national economy.”
He urged staff to uphold the Fund’s core values of integrity, efficiency and effectiveness, commitment, loyalty, teamwork, professionalism and creativity.
The DG also paid tribute to past leaders and staff of the Fund, saying their contributions had helped sustain the organisation for 55 years.
He called on the present workforce to preserve the legacy handed down by previous generations and ensure that the ITF remained relevant to Nigeria’s changing skills and manpower needs.