SULTAN CALLS FOR PROPER FUNDING OF ITF

The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji (Dr.) Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III mni, CFR has called on the Federal Government to properly fund the activities and programmes of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF). Speaking while receiving the Director-General of ITF, Prof. Longmas Sambo Wapmuk in his palace, Sultan Abubakar said the time has come for all stakeholders in the field of human capacity development to focus attention on developing the available manpower in the country, so that the nation can become self-reliant, pointing out that “Self reliance is very important and skills acquisition is also very important” because it propels industrial development.

Reiterating his support for the ITF, the Royal Father said ITF is vital and strategic for the realization of the President’s 7 – point Agenda and therefore canvassed for the strengthening of ITF by provision of more funds by the Federal Government to enable ITF execute all its laudable programmes.

Earlier in his address, ITF Boss, Professor Wapmuk has congratulated the Sultan for the conferment on him recently of the award of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) by Mr. President and assured that his management will endeavour to work relentlessly to follow the sterling and exemplary qualities of the Royal Father.

He said ITF which was established to train, develop and build a corps of highly specialized ingenious manpower, has today become the leading human capacity building institution in the country, stating that efforts are equally in top gear to take ITF activities beyond the shores of Nigeria through collaborative approaches with some of the renown international training institutions across the world.

The new focus of ITF according to Wapmuk is on the area of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), an area that can bring about a leap in the country’s economy as well as create wealth for its people. He went further to state that the ITF have mapped out strategies for training the personnel of the various local and state governments, in addition to those of the organized private sector, so that its dream of having skilled and experienced workforce in all sectors of the economy would be realized.