Director General, ITF, Sir Joseph Ari.
By M. Peter – Jos
The Director-General of Industrial Training Fund, ITF, Sir Joseph Ari, said the ITF will procure three additional mobile training units and will establish vocational wings in Awka, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt, Akure, Gusau and Minna.
Ari announced that efforts will also be stepped up to reposition the Centre for Excellence in Jos for effective service delivery and, processes accelerated to acquire the Jossy Royal Hotel in Jos which acquisition has already been approved by the Federal Executive Council.
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He further stressed in a statement signed by the ITF Head, Public Affairs, Suleyol Chagu that “In order to drive the Federal Government’s efforts to develop the agricultural value chain for job and wealth creation and ensure food security, the ITF will identify arable lands owned by the ITF to establish demonstration farms, which will be used for the training of extension workers and youths nationwide.”
The DG maintained that in view of the funding challenges that have emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, “the Fund will explore creative and sustainable funding options including approaching multilateral Agencies like the International Labour Organisation (ILO), World Bank, African Development Bank as well as other donor organizations that support some of the activities conducted by our organization.”
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Other aspects of the plan, he stated, included the realignment of SIWES objectives to prepare students for the world of work, a review of the ITF corporate image and its re-branding, as well as the completion of capital projects across the federation amongst others and urged the staff to embrace the plan and work assiduously towards its actualization.
It would be recalled that upon assumption to office, Management of the ITF in September 2016, implemented the first phase of its Reviewed Vision: Strategies for Mandate Actualisation, a plan, which yielded tremendous success in the capacity development of Nigerians as well as the commissioning of several projects across the federation amongst others.
