Youth
THE Director-General and Chief Executive of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Sir Joseph Ari, has reiterated his commitment to youth empowerment and support for indigent persons in the society.
Ari said this on Tuesday in Jos at an event organised by staff of the Fund to usher him into his second tenure in office.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had in July approved the reappointment of Ari as D-G of ITF, having completed his first term.
Ari, who said the committee would be part of his agenda in the next four years, added that the fund would also strengthen the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector through robust training.
He explained that the vision, which would be achieved through skill acquisition, would go a long way in meeting the economic diversification plan of the Federal Government.
“Our expectation is that in the next four years, ITF will further escalate and amplify its activities especially with regards to skills acquisition and empowerment of youths and indigent segment of the society.
“We shall as well strengthen the MSMEs sector through need-based training in view of the vital importance of the sector to national growth and development,” he said.
The director-general added that the Fund would expand it’s infrastructure so as to create opportunities and open up its services to all Nigerians.
“The Fund will continue to invest in expanding it’s infrastructure in order to create opportunities and open up our services to all Nigerians desirous of acquiring skills.
“Presently, we have completed eight projects which are awaiting commissioning. These projects are located in Gasau, Minna, Aba, Akwa, and our headquarters, and in Maitama, Abuja.
“It is our commitment to persist with this pace of infrastructure development despite financial challenges until we are convinced that the fund has enough facilities to effectively accommodate as many Nigerians as possible that are desirous of acquiring technical skills,” he added.
As part of infrastructure development, Ari revealed that the fund had acquired the Jossy Royal Hotels, Jos, adding that the facility has 59 rooms, a conference Hall, an annex, kitchen, restaurant, laundry, and workshops.
The D-G also said the Fund would invest in the development of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to carry out training in line with the guidelines put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Ari, who thanked the staff of the fund for the support rendered him in his first tenure, called for more cooperation to enable him to succeed again.
He, however, admonished the staff to be more creative, innovative, persistent, diligent to duty, especially in marketing the fund in the face of the challenges occasioned by COVID-19
“I wish to urge all staff to be more creative and innovative, develop the spirit of persistence and resilience in marketing our services.
“In the face of the current challenges, it means that everyone, from the D-G to clerk, will become a marketer, otherwise, we will fail and the consequences of such failure are only best imagined,” he said. (NAN)
– Sept. 29, 2020 @ 16:45 GMT |
Tags: indigent persons ITF DG reiterates commitment to empower youths
