Front row: left to right The Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Buba, the DG ITF, Mr. Ogun, the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Josephine Piyo, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Samuel Jatau and others at the event.
By Marie-Therese Nanlong
Jos – Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang has restated his administration’s commitment to empowering youths and ensuring human capital development in a State, noting that at a time like this when white-collar jobs are scarce and the economy dwindling, governments at all levels must encourage skills development for the country to grow, investing significantly in the manufacturing sector.
Mutfwang spoke in Jos on Thursday during the Consultancy Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum organised by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) where he commended the ITF for its commitment to the development of human resources in the public sector, and charged the Fund to leverage the expertise and resources of both the public and private sectors to enhance the capacity development initiatives.
Represented by his deputy, Mrs Josephine Piyo, the Governor noted that “Plateau State is blessed with a wealth of talent and potential, and it is a collective responsibility to nurture and harness these assets for sustainable growth and development… Through strategic investments in education, training, and skills development, the people would be empowered to realise their full potential and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic advancement of the State.”
Earlier, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of ITF, Dr Hafeez Ogun, according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Martha Nyam commended Governor Mutfwang for his enthusiasm towards human capital development, describing the Governor’s body language as a reflection of a political leader who means well for his people.
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Ogun reiterated that the ITF was established by Law in 1971 to promote, accelerate, and encourage the acquisition of indigenous skills required in industry and commerce to meet developmental needs, hence he would ensure that artisanry is standardised to the world’s best standards through its Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) programme for enhanced skills and expertise for global recognition and commended the State for having the highest number of registered artisans in the country.
The Chairman, Plateau State Council of Chiefs and Emirs and Gbong Gwom Jos, HRH, Da Jacob Buba, also stated that Plateau is blessed with lots of artisans who need more training to enhance their skills and expressed the readiness to partner with the organisation towards building the capacity of youths in the State and the nation at large.
