Commissions Awka Area office
By Uche Kalu
Commissioner for Youth Devp, Mr
Patrick Agha Mba (second left) flanked by Mr Akpan Idongesit Asuquo
(right), Mrs Ekong Nancy (second right) and Prof Dennis Aribodo ( left)
cuts the tape to commission the edifice.
Industrial Training Fund (ITF)
Awka Area office and Vocational Wings was last week commissioned. The event
which held at the Anambra headquarters of the institute witnessed the presence
of government officials, traditional rulers, captains of industries among many
others.
The Governor of Anambra State,
Chukwumma Soludo who was represented by the Commissioner for Youth Development,
Mr. Patrick Agha Mba expressed his profound felicitation on the institute's
milestone achievements in fulfilling it's mandate of providing efficient labour
force.
He noted that as a person saddled
with the responsibility of handling the affairs of the youths in the state, he
was aware of ITF's exploits in the area of youth's entrepreneurship
development. "I have not only seen the impact of your numerous programmes,
I am also feeling the impact of it in my ministry and we have become partners
in progress in sharing similar vision and forming formidable force in solving
the problems facing our youths especially unemployment.
On the issues of youth's
unemployment, the governor noted that youths unemployment has continued on the
upward trajectory in Nigeria as a result of the number of graduates churned out
of various institutions of learning who failed to secure employments on
graduation leading to all forms of social vices including banditry, cultism,
kidnapping among others.
He said that a lot of efforts and
resources should be channelled towards positively transforming the youths else
they would channel their energies towards vices.
Speaking on the relationship between
the state government and ITF, he was delighted to note that their
relationship has graduated to partnership as ITF provides facilities for
Anambra State Government as it's Entrepreneurship Development Institute for One
Youth Two Skills scheme.
From right, Zonal Director,
Mr Akpan Idongesit Asuquo, Area Manager, Mrs Ekong Nancy, Commissioner for
Youth Devp, Mr Patrick Agha Mba, Prof Dennis Aribodo cutting the celebration
cake.
He averred that the scheme, which
adopts an amplified model of age long "Igba boyi" in Igbo land, was
targeted at creating 1000 youths millionaires and 130, 000 private sector
businesses annually. He thanked ITF for the opportunity it provides towards
youths human capital development.
Earlier in his address, the
Director General and Chief Executive of Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Sir
Joseph Ntung Ari said the construction of Awka Area Office in Anambra State
capital, was in line with ITF's efforts towards expanding access for more
Nigerians to acquire skills through the provision of enabling infrastructure as
well as to enhance efficient and effective delivery of services in line with
it's core mandate.
Sir Ari, who was represented at
the occasion by the Zonal Director in charge of Standardisation, Certification,
and Consultancy Service Department, Mr. Akpan Idongesit Asuquo added that the
existing ITF's infrastructure expansion was also informed by increasing
awareness of Nigerians of the importance of skills acquisition as a pathway to
sustainable livelihood. "This realization has led to an influx of
Nigerians that are desirous of acquiring skills but are denied such
opportunities because of the absence of facilities," he noted.
In furtherance of deepening
infrastructure expansion initiative, Ari noted that ITF under the current
management of Sir Joseph Ari, has between 2020 and 2021 commissioned office
complexes, vocational wings, modern library complexes, block of classrooms
among other infrastructures in Lagos Island, Kano, Gusau, Awka, Owerri,
Ikorodu, Ikeja, Yola, Maiduguri,Jos among other places.
In her address, the Area Manager,
ITF, Awka, Ekong Nancy Ndidiamaka who explained that ITF Awka Area Office was
established in November, 2002 where it operated from a rented apartment at
Abakaliki Street, Awka, commended the visionary and result-oriented DG,
Sir Joseph Ari who in spite of all odds made the dream of not only having a
conducive area office complex but also a well-equipped technical/vocation wing
where the institute can conveniently train employees of both government and
private organisations as well as the youths of ndi Anambra on all manner of
employable skills a reality.
Mrs Ekong who was visibly excited
that both the edifice and vocational wing kicked off in her tenure, thanked the
state government for the roles it played in ensuring that the construction of
the edifice was made possible.
While stating that the fund would
like to collaborate more extensively with the state government and other
agencies in the area of human capital development, she described ITF as the
foremost human resource development organization that develops the nation’s
human resources and boost skills acquisition for smooth and efficient
operations of economic activities in the country.
The Area Manager, Mrs Ekong Nancy
Ndidiamaka taking the cultural dance steps
The Area Manager who led the
visitors on tour of the facilities especially the vocational wing such as the
Tailoring/fashion designing, Electrical departments among others, noted that
the fund strives to assist both the public and private sectors of the Nigerian
economy by providing need-based scheduled technical, vocational, safety,
leadership and management training interventions that have been very
helpful financially while at the same time, eliminating restiveness
and other social vices among youths.
In his goodwill message,
representative of Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council and traditional
ruler of Okpalaeze in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe
Fred Okoli, described ITF as very important agency in the area of skills
acquisition and job creation, adding that the edge advanced countries have over
Nigeria is in the areas of human capital development.
Others who spoke at the event
included the representative of captains of industries , Dr. Johnny Anyadiegwu,
who appealed to ITF to empower the Area Office to enable them.achieve their set
objectives while the representative of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Vice
Chancellor, Prof. Charles Esimone, Prof. Dennis Aribodo noted that ITF
facilities provide enabling environment for both the students of the university
and other bodies to acquire skills.
He assured that Unizik would
continue to explore areas of collaboration and opportunities.
The ITF Awka Area office complex
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