ITF DG reiterates plans to equip technical workforce

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has reiterated its plans to equip technicians, an initiative the Fund said is in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

ITF’s Director General, Dr  Afiz Ogun,  made this known during a visit to the Lanre Shittu Motor (LSM) Assembly plant in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos. He reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to national development through skills acquisition, adding that beyond employment, the organisation is finalising a business incubation structure aimed at supporting entrepreneurship, providing a pathway for trainees to establish their own businesses after completing the programme.

Ogun said its Skills Upgrading and Professional Advancement (SUPA) programme, introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, aims to enhance workforce capacity by equipping participants with industry-relevant skills.

According to him, thousands of artisans have benefited from SUPA across sectors, including electrical installation, plumbing, tiling, ICT, fashion design, and project.

“SUPA goes beyond just providing you with a starter pack. We discovered that giving a starter pack is not enough. At the end of it, it’s like back to square one.

 “The programme focuses on retraining, retooling, and certifying Nigerian artisans to meet international standards, enabling them to compete both locally and globally,” Ogun added.

Ogun said to improve the quality of training and empowerment, ITF is collaborating with stakeholders such as LSM, to procure training tools in bulk, ensuring participants have access to modern, industry-standard equipment.

On the LSM’s deal with ITF, Ogun commended the company for the training put together by the LSM.

Ogun, who commended the management of LSM for their dedication and collaboration, said ITF is ready to further collaborate with LSM to achieve a further fit.

“We are very satisfied with what we have seen here  so far. Kudos to Lanre Shittu Assembly Plant. This collaboration reflects ITF’s commitment to bridging Nigeria’s skills gap and fostering economic development by preparing a workforce that meets the demands of various industries.

Managing Director/CEO, LSM, Taiwo Shittu, who commended President Bola Tinubu for the various initiatives that had energised the auto industry, said the company remained committed to facilitating the growth of the auto industry by collaborating with the ITF in training technicians and providing them with modern tools.

He said the company has contributed a lot to the economy, especially when it comes to manpower, training and empowerment of artisans, workforce technicians.

“We have established three training centres in three states for technicians who have passion for automotive development. We equiped the centres with modern facilities and they are well trained for a certain period.

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“After the training, we send them to our customers across the country to service them. We ask them to be employed, accommodated and paid well,” Shittu said.

He said the deal with the ITF is a great achievement for LSM, adding that this is something that LSM has been longing for.  He expressed gratitude to the ITF for the support and for giving hope to the automotive industry.