By Marie-Therese Nanlong

The United Kingdom, UK’s Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria, Ben Llewellyn-Jones has assured that the United Kingdom would continue to support Nigeria to strengthen her skills development system to produce a more competent technical workforce that increases productivity and economic development.

The support, according to his explanation, is based on the UK’s global reputation for education and skills characterised by excellence and quality.

Speaking when the United Kingdom’s Skills for Prosperity – Nigeria, S4P-N programme signed an agreement with the Industrial Training Fund, ITF to promote and institutionalize the Fund’s intervention programmes to become flagship programmes for the National Apprenticeship Training System, NATS, he noted, “We will support Nigeria to strengthen her skills development system to produce a more competent technical workforce that increases productivity and economic development.”

The Skills for Prosperity-Nigeria programme, is a two-year UK Aid funded programme, aimed at equipping youths and vulnerable groups with skills that offer them a more attractive pathway into employment and meet employers’ needs for a more skilled workforce.

However, the Director-General of the ITF, Sir Joseph Ari stated the S4P-N Approach is also implemented across nine fast growing economies which include Brazil, South Africa and Kenya and will build an industry-led National Apprenticeship and Training System (NATS) that is linked with mainstream education by enabling a pathway to career oriented learning that offers youths not in employment, education or training a new opportunity to skill-up and participate gainfully in the national and global economy.

Sir Ari in a statement signed by Suleyol Chagu, the ITF Director, Public Affairs Department also stressed that “The ITF, given its mandate, is best suited and has willingly agreed to act as strategic owner of the National Apprenticeship and Training System.”

He added, “We will work alongside the Skills for Prosperity-Nigeria team to institutionalize a formal system that can meet enterprise workforce needs and lead to increased productivity, but more importantly create an enabling environment for the youth of Nigeria to be productively engaged.”

Ari further stated that the ITF welcomed the initiative of the United Kingdom Government through the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and assured the Skills for Prosperity – Nigeria of the Fund’s commitment in ensuring that the objectives of the partnership are met and further provide the appropriate foundation for further synergy.