The Federal Government is targeting another 200,000 artisans for training in 2026 under the Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) programme as the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) intensifies efforts to tackle unemployment through vocational training and skills development.
The Director-General and Chief Executive of the ITF, Dr Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, disclosed this during the Fund’s 55th anniversary celebration and the third anniversary of his administration at the ITF headquarters in Jos, Plateau State.
Ogun said the Fund had expanded its reach over the past three years, strengthened partnerships, introduced international standards in skills certification and accelerated digital transformation.
According to him, the SUPA programme has already trained hundreds of thousands of artisans, while another 200,000 are targeted for training this year.
He added that more than 7,000 artisans had undergone international certification examinations. The Fund also assessed 1,308 training centres, with 776 approved to provide vocational and technical training.
Ogun described Nigeria’s admission as the 83rd member of WorldSkills International and the establishment of the WorldSkills Academy in Abuja as major achievements that would strengthen the country’s position in global skills development.
He said his administration had also prioritised staff welfare, infrastructure and digitalisation. The improvements included a 47,600-litre fuel station at the Jos headquarters, a staff fuel-card scheme and the renovation and development of skills training facilities.
Ogun said his ambition was to build an ITF capable of competing with leading learning and development institutions worldwide.
Also speaking, the Director of Standardisation, Certification and Compliance, Mrs Olayinka Sodunke, said the Fund’s transformation was creating opportunities for Nigerians through practical skills acquisition and vocational education.
Sodunke described the Jos Model Skills Academy as a major achievement, adding that similar initiatives would be replicated in Lagos, the South-East and the Far North.
She said skills had become an important asset in the modern economy.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority, Alhaji Bamanga Usman Jada, also commended the ITF’s development efforts.
Jada said Nigeria’s large population could become an economic asset if citizens acquired relevant skills, urging the Fund to sustain its transformation and strengthen the skilled workforce required for industrial growth.
The ITF’s announcement sets a target of 200,000 additional artisans for SUPA training in 2026. However, the anniversary remarks did not specify a new application deadline or confirm that a fresh registration window had opened.