The Enugu State government asked for the allocation of additional slots to the people of the state by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in its strategic vocational training programmes in the 2024 budget year.
The appeal was made by the State Commissioner for Human Development and Poverty Eradication, Dr. Malachy Agbo, at the graduation ceremony of the institution at its Enugu zonal office, adding that the administration of Dr. Peter Mbah appreciates and supports programmes and activities geared towards poverty eradication and human development in the state.
Agbo commended the ITF for training 275 people of the state in various skills such as fashion designing, solar installation, leather bag making, women hair attachments making, and soap making, among others.
“The efforts of ITF in the eradication of poverty and providing employment opportunities to the teeming young population are not lost on us. We strongly believe as a state in enhancing the wellbeing of Ndi Enugu in all ramifications.
“When people are gainfully employed, it reduces crime and criminality. It increases the economy of the state and makes the state a preferred destination for investment”, he said.
He also praised the Nigerian Breweries for supporting the programme by financing the training of many people in the state through the ITF.
“Dr. Peter Mbah, the governor of Enugu State is a pragmatist with a laudable vision to eradicate poverty in the state in the next few years to come and the trickles from interventions such as this add to the exponential growth in the state’s GDP.
“All of you the graduands of this programme are ambassadors for greater prosperity because as you are empowered, you will prosper to success and you will impact your family too”, the Commissioner stated.
Earlier in his address, the Director General of ITF, Dr. Afiz Ogun Oluwatoyin, who was represented by the Head Servicom and Anti Corruption Unit, Ms Rita Mgbaemena, stated that the National Industrial Skills Development Programme focuses on skills acquisition to create jobs to curb the rampant unemployment situation in the country and breed a new generation of entrepreneurs, in order to transform the economic landscape of the country.
“Our commitment to skills acquisition is based on the fact that it is the most sustainable solution to combating unemployment, reducing poverty and youth restiveness in the country,” he said.
He advised the graduands not to consider selling the startup packs that were presented to them because it is their ticket to the world and an opportunity for them to contribute meaningfully to the Nigerian economy.
