The Industrial Training Fund, ITF, has begun onboarding the next batch of trainees for the second phase of its Skill Up Artisans Programme, SUPA, aiming to enroll an additional 100,000 artisans.
In a statement, ITF’s Director-General, Dr. Oluwatoyin Afiz Ogun, noted that the expansion follows the successful completion of the pilot phase—SUPA Foundation.
“In its 54 years of existence, the SUPA program stands as ITF’s most well-structured and impactful initiative to tackle the shortage of skilled manpower in Nigeria’s industries.
“The program leverages technology to assess artisans’ skill levels, provide upskilling opportunities, facilitate international certification, and connect them to job opportunities both locally and abroad,” he said.
Ogun explained that SUPA is structured in three phases: Foundation, SUPA I and SUPA II, adding that SUPA I focuses on three key soft skills: Artisan Project Management, Artisan Health and Safety, and Artisan Ethics and Patriotism.
SUPA II provides technical and entrepreneurial training, culminating in certification examinations conducted by international awarding bodies.
To implement the program, ITF established a dedicated registration platform www.supa.itf.gov.ng, screened applicants across Nigeria’s 90 senatorial districts, validated artisan registrations, and assessed training centers.
Ogun highlighted that despite initial challenges, all participating artisans received their promised stipends, and payments were made to training centers.
He noted that several improvements are underway as ITF prepares to launch SUPA I, including streamlining onboarding for new trainees, enhancing payment processes for both artisans and training centers, restructuring ITF’s internal departments to provide better institutional support, and Producing Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, and acquiring Essential Training Materials, ETMs, before the program begins.
The 100,000 trainees for this phase include the 29,000 artisans who completed the SUPA Foundation stage. They will soon receive formal notification of their admission. Additionally, the full list of onboarded trainees will be published on the SUPA and ITF websites.
The SUPA I training is expected to last six to eight weeks, after which artisans will sit for certification exams—free of charge. Those who pass will automatically proceed to SUPA II, where they will receive specialized technical training in their chosen trade.
To accommodate the program’s growth, ITF is assessing additional training centers, aiming to increase the number from 800 to 1,500. The agency is also negotiating bulk purchases of training equipment from original equipment manufacturers to support privately owned training centers enlisted in SUPA.
Furthermore, ITF is working closely with the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, to link SUPA graduates to employment opportunities in industries. A structured SUPA business incubation model is also in the final stages and will soon be tested in other special projects.
Ogun said “My goal is to entrench SUPA as a viable pathway to prosperity beyond formal education. This aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate and ITF’s original mission to bridge Nigeria’s manpower gap through structured, modular training.”
With these initiatives, ITF is set to solidify SUPA as a game-changer in Nigeria’s workforce development, equipping artisans with globally recognized skills and sustainable employment opportunities.
