The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otumba Adeniyi Adebayo, has expressed concern over the lack of requisite skills in the country.
Adebayo said government finds it worrisome that although most of its programmes get the expected outcomes in terms of jobs created, Nigerians with the requisite skills are shockingly lacking even as unemployment and poverty perpetuates.
The minister spoke in Abuja at the Industrial Training Fun, ITF second national summit on Thursday.
“Therefore, dialogues such as we are having today are key to unravelling what the challenges are. To my mind, skills acquisition for Nigerians across the country is vital if we can overcome our challenges.
“Apprenticeship and Traineeship, which is one aspect of skills acquisition will play a key role given the numerous advantages it offers and its efficacy in solving some of the challenges we are facing in climes it has been fully explored.
“Among its many comparative advantages, successful apprenticeships and traineeship have the potential to generate and build new skills, provide the most efficient way to train all-round craftsmen to meet present and future needs, assure an adequate supply of skilled workers to fill employment opportunities, assure the community of competent craftsmen, skilled in all aspects of their trade, provide versatility necessary to meet changing conditions, open the door to new opportunities, improve your employability status, ” he said.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mariam Katagum, expressed delight that thousands of Nigerians are being trained by ITF on various skills acquisition programmes.
“I have been informed that in continuation of its efforts, the ITF is currently training several thousand Nigerians under the N-Build programme of Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Services.
“Today’s event is therefore not an exercise in claptrap but a commendable effort by an Agency that is determined to drive the achievement of the aspirations of the Federal Government which is committed more than ever to lift the country out of poverty and reduce unemployment and return it on the path of sustainable growth and economic stability.
“This Summit should, therefore, be viewed as necessary tonic needed as the Federal Government commences implementation of National Development Plan 2022-2025.”
In his remarks, the Director-General of ITF, Sir Joseph Ari, called for more educational options to boost apprenticeship scheme in the country towards tackling the nation’s unemployment problem.
Ari said the present educational system has failed to meet the requisite skills needed in the country.
“With the high unemployment rate in the country, it will not be farfetched to conclude that our current model of learning has failed to live up to its purposes and therefore, the need to consider additional educational options that will serve to boost our national apprenticeship scheme.
“I believe that this summit will provide us with the platform to finally articulate strategies for a robust apprenticeship scheme in the country,” he said.
