Infrastructural Deficit: ITF says it has completed abandoned projects

By Kingsley Chukwuka

The Director General of the Industrial Training Fund, Sir Joseph Ari has said it has completed and commissioned several projects which has been abandoned for years.

Ari named the completed abandoned project to be the Mechatronics workshop and administrative block at the Industrial Skills Training Centre (ISTC), Kano, Katsina Area office complex with an administrative and vocational wing, Lagos Island area office complex and stores in the Headquarters, Classrooms blocks at the ITF Staff School, Acquired 3 mobile training vans, Purchased former Jossy Royal Hotel in Jos for training in vocational and cuilnary skills.

The ITF DG  spoke on Monday in Jos, while in audience with members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), where he was presented with an award of excellence in leadership and human capital development by the Chapel.

Speaking at the ceremony, the ITF boss said it has completed several other projects which are awaiting commissioning.

He named the projects as Gusau area office complex and vocational wing, Minna area office complex and vocational wing, Aba area office complex and vocational wing, Awka area office complex and vocational wing, Abakiliki area office complex and vocational wing, Maiduguri area office complex and vocational wing, reconstruction of Calabar area office complex and vocational wing, Headquarters Auditorium and Gymnasium, Access road to the Headquarters Auditorium and Gymnasium, The Multipurpose building in Maitama, Abuja and the Institution of hospitality management at Oba Akran in Lagos.

He said on-going projects include: The ITF quarters in Port-Harcourt, Yola Area office complex and vocational wing, Uyo Area office complex and vocational wing, The ITF Multi-Purpose training centre at Enugu.

Ari assured that the on-going projects will be commissioned before the end of the year.

According to him: “To train Nigerians along the Agricultural Value Chain, the Fund has also completed the construction of six greenhouses in the Six Geopolitical zones of the country, which are being used for the implementation of the Fund’s Agri-preneurship Skills Empowerment Programme (AGSEP).

“Also, the upgrading of facilities at the ITF Industrial Skills Training Centres (ISTCs) and the Model Skills Training Centre (MSTC), Abuja has also been completed”, he said.

He continued: “Despite the numerous achievements, we have had to contend with debilitating challenges ranging from policy somersaults, funding limitations, and legal issues regarding our establishment Act to infrastructure deficits among others that have impeded the full actualization of our mandate.

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“Regarding the Act, we have had to contend with: Lack of powers to enforce some provisions of the Act. Usurpation of functions and responsibility by Agencies acting outside the scope of their mandates. Conflicts due to overlaps of mandate. Duplication of functions due to lack of clarity of mandate. Litigations arising from seeming ambiguity of some sections of the Act.

“We have also had to cope with the: Capital-intensive nature of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Policy inconsistencies and somersaults on TVET. Absence of operational National Skill Development Policy. Negative public perception of vocational skills training as dirty, dangerous, and dreaded. Limited opportunities for skills acquisition due to the unwillingness of some members of both the Organized Private Sector (OPS) and informal sector to accept students on placement”, Ari said.

He however, dedicated the award and others he has received in recent times to the management and staff of the ITF who he said have given him the needed support as their leader, assuring that the award would motivate him to do more for his country and humanity.