The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) claims to have given N 1.1 billion in student and supervisory allowances under the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) in 2023.
Dr. Afiz Ogun, ITF’s director general (DG), made the announcement on Saturday in Jos during the fund’s 2023 Performance Review Meeting and Merit Award Ceremony.
Mr Ogun stated that N733,035,000 was paid to 48,869 university students, N232,970.00 to 23,297 polytechnic students, and N72,380,000 to 7,238 students from colleges of education. According to the DG, the agency reimbursed 580 companies a total of N13,805,143,635 for the calendar year 2023.
He stated that the reimbursement of the 580 companies was consistent with the ITF’s enabling acts, which allows contributing employers to be reimbursed up to 50% of their mandatory yearly training contribution if the governing council approves the employers’ training plan.
Mr. Ogun also stated that the fund will train and empower over 42,000 Nigerians with various skills and start-up packs through its various skill intervention activities in 2023.
He described the Skill-up Artisans (SUPA) programme as a transformative federal government initiative aimed at upskilling, licencing, and empowering five million Nigerians per year. He stated that the initiative’s goal was to assist artisans in developing the necessary skills to meet global standards.
He further said the SUPA programme showed the government’s commitment to promote economic development and improve the standard of living of its citizens.
Mr Ogun noted that, apart from driving national development, the programme would ensure the availability of skilled workers 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, Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau commended the fund for its contribution towards the training and empowerment of youths in the country with the requisite skills. Mr Mutfwang, who was represented by his commissioner for science and technology, Obed Nanjul, assured the fund of the state government’s unflinching support.
Awards were given to the best area office in training activities, the best area office in revenue generation and the best performing area office under categories A, B and C. The Isolo Area Office in Lagos emerged as the overall best performing area office in training activities in 2023.