The Industrial Training Fund (ITF), the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Federal Government have called for increased support for technical and vocational skills development to help trained youths secure jobs and establish sustainable businesses.
The call was made at a stakeholders’ dialogue forum and award ceremony organised under the ITF-NECA Technical Skills Development Project (TSDP), where speakers stressed the need to bridge skills gaps, strengthen industry participation and improve employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
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The Chairman of the ITF Governing Council, who spoke at the event, said the partnership between ITF and NECA demonstrated the importance of collaboration between government and the private sector in preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship.
He said the success of skills development programmes should be measured not only by the number of people trained but also by how many graduates secured relevant jobs, established viable businesses and improved their livelihoods.
He urged stakeholders to strengthen the link between training and employment through expanded apprenticeship opportunities, workplace placements, mentorship and enterprise support.
The ITF chairman also called for increased investment in trainers, updated curricula and modern equipment that reflect changing industrial processes and workplace requirements.
He advocated wider access to technical education, particularly for women, persons with disabilities and young people facing economic barriers, while urging employers to provide training opportunities, experienced mentors and platforms for graduates to demonstrate their skills.
He noted that technical professionals, including welders, machinists, furniture makers and maintenance workers, played important roles in national development.
In his remarks, NECA Director-General, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said the ITF-NECA Technical Skills Development Project had recorded significant progress since its establishment in 2009.
He explained that the initiative followed a 2008 survey by ITF and NECA, which identified gaps between available labour skills and the technical competencies required by industries, particularly in mechanical maintenance, welding, electrical and electronic maintenance, automation and instrumentation.
Oyerinde said the project was established on March 31, 2009, as a public-private partnership to equip young Nigerians with practical, industry-relevant skills.
He disclosed that the initiative had trained thousands of youths across more than 35 technical and vocational trades and expanded its operations across the six geopolitical zones.
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According to him, project records showed that approximately 90 per cent of its graduates had secured employment or established their own businesses, while 84 public and private sector organisations had participated in the programme over the years.
However, he said emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, automation and digital manufacturing, required continuous improvements in technical training to meet evolving industry needs.
Oyerinde called for stronger industry participation, higher competency standards and improved employment and business outcomes in the programme’s next phase.
He also appealed to the Bank of Industry to provide starter packs and other support to qualified graduates seeking to establish businesses, noting that training alone might not address unemployment if graduates lacked the tools and resources needed to apply their skills.
He said supporting skilled graduates to establish businesses could create additional jobs and contribute to reducing unemployment.
The NECA director-general also disclosed that a separate digital skills initiative by NECA, in collaboration with the International Organisation of Employers and Microsoft, recorded more than 101,000 registrations for artificial intelligence training, with over 87,000 participants obtaining certification.
He urged the government, development partners and private organisations to support credible technical skills programmes, stressing that sustainable industrialisation depended on a skilled and productive workforce.
Oyerinde further called for stronger collaboration between the ITF-NECA project and the ITF’s Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) initiative to expand technical competence and improve the availability of skilled workers.
Also speaking, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, represented by the ministry’s Director of Skills Development, Mr Ojelade Gabriel, said technical and vocational education remained central to the Federal Government’s efforts to promote decent employment, improve productivity and reduce youth unemployment.
Dingyadi described the ITF-NECA partnership as a model of public-private collaboration in addressing workforce needs.
He urged stakeholders to deepen cooperation, expand industry participation in vocational training and apprenticeship programmes, and ensure that training aligned with labour market demands.
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The minister congratulated the trainees recognised at the ceremony and urged them to uphold excellence, discipline and professionalism in their careers.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote employment, productive engagement and inclusive economic growth.
