In its bid to promote technical education, the Industry Trust Fund, has donated some equipment to Government Technical College, Mopa in Kogi state. Sam Egwu reports
Of late some influential indigenes of Kogi state were attracting equipment needed to encourage acquisition of science and vocational education to communities in the state.
The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC)as part of its efforts to promote science education, as a result of its import to the society, recently commenced the building and equiping of a science laboratory for a school in Ofugo, Ankpa local government of Kogi State.
Alhaji Alih, a fomer pupil of the school facilitated the multi-million naira laboratory project.
Also, in Mopa-Muro, headquarters of Mopa-Muro local government area, history was once again made, courtesy of a daughter of the community, Mrs Josephine Gbadamosi, who influenced the donation of equipment to Government Technical College, Mopa by the Director General of Industrial Training Fund, (ITF), Sir Joseph Ari.
On the occasion of donating the equipment, the Director General of ITF, Sir Joseph Ari noted that youths in the country should embrace technical education, for a better tomorrow as white collar jobs are disappearing from the horizon.
The effort made at acquiring technology has been thwarted at various levels, but with the vision of the President Muhammadu Buhari, to improve the socio economic wellbeing of the nation, it behoves on the youths to take up the challenge through technological break through, by embracing technical education to quicken the process of changing the world order of white collar jobs.
“Ordinarily, attending a university and graduating should be a routine thing where the system is functional and devoid of hiccups. But this is not to be so, now that functional education where graduates can employ themselves, is what the world is clamouring for.
“The passion to profession programme (P2PP), is one of the Fund’s special intervention programmes that were conceived under its reviewed vision: Strategies For Mandate Actualisation”, he said
Sir Joseph stressed that most countries in the world that are rich today, are those advanced in technology, and the nationals have nothing to fear regarding the future since they also have keyed into the technological drive.
“With the philosophy of President Muhammadu Buhari to diverisify the socio economy of the nation and to embrace this, the incumbent management of the ITF on assumption of duty, decided to fast-track the importation of technical skills to Nigerians, in order to create jobs and reduce unemployment in line with the Federal government policy direction,” he said.
He reiterated that three years into the programme which commenced in 2016, 450, 000 Nigerians have been equiped with various skills through the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), the Women Skills Empowerment Programme (WOSEP), the construction skills empowerment programme (CONSEP), the agri-prenurship programme, skills training programme for the physically challenged ( STEP-C) among others.
The DG stressed that unlike the other initiatives that bring trainees to a formal training environment, the Passion to Profession Programme, (P2PP) is unique as it uses the Brazilian model where training is taken to the doorstep of the trainees using mobile training units.
He further enthused that the P2PP which was implemented between June 2017 and November 2017 at the Fund’s Model Skills Training Centre, ( MSTC) in Abuja, trained 140 Nigerians in tailoring and garment making, who were given state of the art sewing machines and other support as start up packs for them to set up on their own businesses.
“Self reliance is one of the cardinal goals of the ITF. And for the youths to be self reliant, there must be self discipline in all ramifications, thereby dissuading the issue of rural urban migration in the society.
“It is key to understand that most of the notable names we hear about today started off from self discipline. Our duty is to accept the challenges before us as we have put all machineries in motion to reach the desired goal of making the youths and indeed women to be competent members of the society.
“ It is important to note that the society will benefit if everyone knows his or her role to make the society great. It’s against this backdrop that for the efforts to have any direct impact, all partners, the beneficiaries, parents and guardians, government at all levels and indeed all stakeholders must play their roles.
“The opportunity provided now by training you is your ticket to the world, make proper use of it. Even in America, employment opportunity is no longer available. Make proper use of the opportunity you have now to enrich your self, your immediate family and the entire society at large.
“You can expand the horizon by training others with the knowledge imparted to you, there and then you know your relevance to the community and the society.”
While presenting equipment in the area of specialisations to the 30 graduands, of different trades, with a stern warning that the equipments should not be sold, the DG of ITF, Sir Joseph Ari, assisted by his counterpart from Nigeria Employers Consultative Assembly, NECA), Timothy, ably represented by Nike Ajala, facilitator of the programe, Mrs Josephine Omolola Gbadamosi, said the co- operation and collaboration of the organized private sector (OPS), Non-governmental organisation (NGOs), individuals and politicians are important to drive home the multiplier effects on the Nigeria economy.
He further stressed that the task of tackling unemployment through skill acquisition cannot and should not be left to the ITF and other agencies of the Federal Government alone.
Items presented to the graduands include start up packs, sewing machines, garment designing machines, magnetic board, spirit level, digital multimeter desk clamp, hack saw, bench grinder, leaf blower and GSM rework station.
Others are plumbing tool box, welding machine, wrench electronic saw wire, industrial sewing machines, dicing tool box and compressor machine.
The Elulu of Mopa, Oba Julius Jolade , thanked ITF and the federal government for the donation.