The director general of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Dr Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, has stated that 2024 is their best year ever since the inception of the fund.
He said the fund has exceeded its revenue targets across all areas, adding that it has never generated this level of revenue before in its history.
Ogun stated this while speaking to newsmen shortly after the performance review meeting and presentation of the 2024 Corporate scorecard at the Corporate Headquarters in Jos, the Plateau State capital, at the weekend.
He said, “The year 2024 was an excellent one. There was a slight disruption due to the change in government, but even at that, we still performed beyond expectations. Financially, it was our best year ever.”
The director general also maintained that he was happy with their scorecard, stressing that what they had planned was now bearing fruit.
“You reap what you sow. People in our Area offices can now see their scorecards, and this helps them move forward. Those who have been relaxing are being encouraged.”
He further stressed, “I don’t believe in hard work alone, I encourage people to work smart with great efficiency. That’s the message. And gradually, we’re seeing progress.”
Ogun also argued that in many areas, they exceeded the 2023 performance. “In places we didn’t, you can see the effort to improve on it. There’s active discussion and debate, all aimed at scoring better and correcting our mistakes against 2025.”
Speaking on the economic benefits of Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) to Nigerians, Ogun said the initiative enables artisans to migrate for work similar to what India did, adding that their workers went abroad, gained new skills, and sent money home.
According to him, SUPA is President Bola Tinubu’s initiative, adding that he personally endorsed it, “reviewed our Act, and handed it over to us to implement.”
“Nigerian Artisans will tend to remit a large part of their earnings. This improves our economy through remittances.’
He maintained that the president is monitoring it closely, noting that that is why politicians can’t hijack the process. “When someone asks us to come and take people from their constituency, we tell them to register through the official portal. The president made it clear. Every artisan in Nigeria is his candidate, and there is no special treatment for anyone,” he said.
He also disclosed that they are supplying the Nigerian job market with skilled labour, stressing that Nigerian industries are asking them through their surveys and feedback mechanisms, such as the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), and many others.
“They tell us the skills that are needed, and we supply. We’re supporting trained artisans with tools and starter packs. ITF is not just about training people, we’re creating wealth for them and for the country,” he said.
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