The Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund, Dr Afiz Ogun, has urged Nigerians to endure the current economic hardship, arguing that the reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration are necessary to stabilise the economy and attract investment.
Ogun made the call on Thursday in Jos, Plateau State, during activities marking the 55th anniversary of the Industrial Training Fund.
The ITF boss departed from his prepared anniversary speech to address growing concerns over rising petrol prices, the cost of living and the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians.
He said he could read the mood of the audience while discussions on developments in the oil and gas sector were ongoing.
“While my colleague was speaking about the positive developments in oil and gas, I was reading the body language in this room. I could almost hear people saying, ‘We cannot buy fuel now; it is expensive. Things are hard.’ So permit me to campaign a little before I read my speech,” Ogun said.
Defending the administration’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy and unify the foreign exchange market, the ITF DG described the measures as difficult but necessary reforms aimed at addressing longstanding economic distortions.
According to him, the current economic difficulties should be viewed against the expected long-term benefits of the reforms.
Ogun used an aircraft analogy to explain the impact of the foreign exchange reforms, noting that the naira’s movement against the dollar could not be expected to stabilise immediately after the government introduced the changes.
“Before this government came, the dollar was running like an aeroplane. When the President came in, it continued running. If a plane lands, does it stop instantly? It still runs for a while before it stops,” he said.
He added that the exchange rate was gradually stabilising, describing the development as positive for investment.
On the petrol subsidy, Ogun argued that the previous arrangement encouraged arbitrage and smuggling, with subsidised petroleum products allegedly being moved across Nigeria’s borders while Nigerians continued to experience domestic supply challenges.
“Yes, we are suffering now, but let us endure,” he said, warning against political promises to return the country to the former subsidy regime.
The ITF boss also cited what he described as broader signs of stability in the country, including sustained industrial harmony in tertiary institutions, as evidence that some of the government’s structural measures were beginning to yield results.
Ogun highlights ITF achievements
Beyond the economic reforms, Ogun highlighted the transformation recorded by the ITF during his three-year tenure.
He said the Fund’s performance benchmark had risen from 39 to 170, attributing the improvement to the digitisation of its operations, expanded skills development programmes and improved staff welfare.
He particularly highlighted the Skill-Up Artisans Programme, popularly known as SUPA, which is designed to standardise artisanal skills and improve the employability of Nigerian craftsmen and women.
Ogun said the Fund was targeting the training of an additional 200,000 artisans under the programme.
He explained that the ITF was also moving beyond the traditional distribution of starter packs to beneficiaries by creating sustainable pathways through which trained participants could secure employment, establish businesses or access opportunities outside the country.
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The DG said the Fund had developed three major exit pathways comprising talent export, industry placement and business incubation.
He further noted the ITF’s affiliation with international skills development bodies, including WorldSkills, where Nigeria is now an 83rd member, as well as City & Guilds of the United Kingdom.
55 years of skills development
The ITF was established on October 8, 1971, during the administration of former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, to address the country’s technical manpower needs and strengthen vocational and industrial skills development.
The agency has since expanded its mandate to include skills acquisition, vocational training, artisan development and industrial manpower development.
At the anniversary celebration, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority, Bamanga Usman Jada, commended the ITF for its facilities and skills development efforts.
Jada, who visited the ITF Centre of Excellence in Jos, described the facility as being of international standard.
“What I saw was amazing; it was of international standard. Indeed, Nigeria needs ITF to achieve its developmental objectives,” he said.
The anniversary celebration featured cultural performances by students of the ITF Model School, interfaith prayers and a novelty football match.
Other activities lined up for the anniversary included a fitness walk, visits to an orphanage and correctional facility, as well as indoor games for staff.
The event brought together government officials, industry stakeholders, staff members and other partners to commemorate five and a half decades of the ITF’s contribution to Nigeria’s human capital and industrial skills development.