By Marie-Therese Nanlong 

Jos – Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong has reiterated the need to tackle the menace of unemployment and poverty through aggressive skills acquisition in the State.

Lalong spoke in Jos on Tuesday during the closing ceremony of the 2022 National Industrial Skills Development Programmes, NISDP, Women Skills Empowerment Programme, WOSEP and Agripreneurship Skills Empowerment Programme, AgSEP of the Industrial Training Fund, ITF.

Represented by his Deputy, Professor Sonni Tyoden, he stated, “The ITF has become a dependable ally and a strong partner to the Plateau State Government especially in the life of the Rescue Administration under my watch in the last seven and half years… something drastic has to be done and very quickly too, to stem the tide of poverty and unemployment.

“The Skills Intervention Programmes implementation annually by the ITF is one of the novel approaches, which the Rescue Administration has used to reduce unemployment, the menace of drug addiction and put poverty under check in the state.

“I am aware that the NISDP is the flagship programme of the ITF and has trained well over 500,000 Nigerians with cutting-edge skills in various fields of specialization since its inception. It is equally heart-warming to note that the beneficiaries of the noble programme are given starter-packs to set up their businesses immediately after graduation…”

He however reminded the beneficiaries that, “Government alone cannot provide jobs to cater for everyone, hence the need to take full advantage of the skills acquisition programmes to make out a living and to trickle the knowledge down to others who were not opportune to benefit from the training.”

Earlier, the DG of the ITF, Sir Joseph Ari disclosed that Governor Lalong has been “very instrumental in the successes the ITF has recorded in implementing its various skills acquisition programmes,” as “The Government under your leadership has often sponsored and procured start-up packs for additional trainees of our various skills intervention programmes and this has enabled us to impact more Nigerian youths than we would have done without this strategic collaboration.”

Ari stressed, “The ITF has over the years developed numerous skills intervention programmes to promote entrepreneurship, employability, job, and wealth creation to reduce youth restiveness and also promote the diversification of the Nigerian economy in line with the Federal Government’s policy.

“This phase of training which commenced in the last quarter of 2022 lasted three months and comprised theoretical, practical, and entrepreneurial aspects. Thousands of Nigerians were equipped with skills in seven trades namely, Plumbing and Pipefitting, Hair Dressing, Aluminium Fabrication, Solar Power Installation, Tiling and Laying of Interlocking Blocks, Wig Cap Making, and Integrated Farming.

“In Plateau State, 285 youths were trained in Solar Power Installation, Aluminium Fabrication, Tiling and Laying of Interlocking Blocks, Wig Cap Making, and Integrated Farming. We believe that given the intensity and the very practical nature of the training, which was 80 percent practical and 20 percent theory, they were equipped with the necessary skills and attitudes for them to thrive as employees or as entrepreneurs.

“Our commitment to skills acquisition is premised on the fact that it remains the most viable and sustainable solution to rising unemployment and poverty that have continued to defy the best efforts of Governmental and non-Governmental approaches. I, therefore seize this opportunity to appeal to other State Governments, the Organized Private Sector (OPS), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), Faith-Based Organizations, Politicians, and other stakeholders to collaborate with the ITF in our efforts to training Nigerians.

“It could be by way of sponsorship of additional trainees for our various skills programmes, or by buying start-up packs for beneficiaries of the programmes. Only through such collaborations will the Fund be able to train as many youths to impact the Nigerian environment. I will also urge the beneficiaries, who will be presented with start-up packs shortly, to resolve to utilize the opportunity provided by this training. You should consider the start-up packs as your ticket to the world and an opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the Nigerian economy.

Goodwill messages were received from the SMEDAN, PLASMIDA, Light Microfinance bank, and the Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Buba represented by the Mishkagham Mwaghavul, Da John Hirse who all advised the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity to create wealth.