NBTE Faults ITF Over Plan To Certify Artisans

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has kicked against the proposed amendment to the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) 2024 Act to enable the fund certify artisans and craftsmen.

The Executive Secretary of the Board, Prof. Idris Bugaje made the position of the Board known while inaugurating a 10-man national sector skill Council during the 32 Engineering Assembly organised by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) in Abuja.

The inauguration of the council is part of attempts by COREN and NBTE to bridge the skill gap in the country.

Bugaje said Nigeria was producing more engineers than technologists and artisans despite requiring five technologists per engineer and five artisans per technologists.

He said the Nigerian economy is 75 percent informal sector therefore, the national skill sector will engage them, standardised their training and offer them NSQ certification.

He said, “Let me emphasise on the separation of power between the training provider, the awarding body and the regulator. No one agency or body is allowed to combine any of these two roles based on global best practices.

“The misadventure of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in amending its Act to take over all 3 roles must be called to order. This proposed ITF Amendment Act 2024 will not only clash with existing laws but will create an unprecedented chaos in the Nigerian skills ecosystem and compromise standards. ITF seems to be intoxicated by the huge tax they collect from industries and believe they can find their way in the National Assembly by any means.”

He continued, “We know ITF since its establishment was supposed to be doing funding. Funding training of students. Students industrial experience team. This programme today has been abandoned completely. ITF will set up training centres all over the country and now they want to become an awarding body. Taking over the job of COREN, Council for builders, Council for hospitality.”

Bugaje explained further that, “Intoxication is not only from alcohol or abuse of substance, drugs, etc. sometimes if you have too much money. You become intoxicated and that’s what’s happening to ITF. I think the new DG. The new DG of ITF is a medical doctor, who has no experience in skills and he wants to take over everybody’s job in the ecosystem. I think this must be changed. And I hope our National Assembly will not become a police station where you can go and pay your way”.

In his remarks, the President of COREN, Prof Sadiq Abubakar said the inauguration of the awarding body for the Skill Sector Council for Engineering (SSC4E) marked a significant milestone in the nation’s journey towards enhancing the skills and competencies of workforce in the engineering sector in Nigeria.

He noted that engineering is a vital endeavour driving critical sectors of the nation’s economy through the provision of gainful employment, advance infrastructure development and sustained economic growth.

However, he stressed that the sector faces numerous challenges, including shortage of skilled labour commensurate with various disciplines and across the engineering cadres, aging of qualified practitioners, slow rate of evolution of skills to match contemporary practices and gestation period of attaining competencies and proficiencies, among others.

“It is important to state that the SSC4E is private sector-led with 70% of the membership being drawn from the private sector comprising key stakeholders in the 10 engineering dominant sectors of the country”.

He explained that the SSC4E will serve as a platform for collaboration among stakeholders in the sector, including government agencies, educational institutions, industry associations, employers of labour, manufacturers, professional bodies, regulators and workers’ representatives.

“They are to facilitate the development of industry-driven training programmes, certification standards, and accreditation mechanisms to ensure that the nation’s workforce is equipped with relevant up-to-date and state-of-the art skills,” Prof Abubakar said.