The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has concluded arrangements for nationwide screening of shortlisted candidates for the 2026 Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) further training programme to sustain and development strong global competitiveness.

This is contained in a statement by the ITF’s Director, Press and Public Relations, Thomas Ngor, in Abuja on Saturday.

The training programme was part of the fund’s sustained commitment to developing a globally competitive workforce and advancing the Federal Government’s human capital development agenda.

The Director-General of ITF, Dr Afiz Ogun, said the screening exercise was designed to verify the eligibility and assess the practical experience of shortlisted candidates ahead of their admission into the 2026 training programme.

Mr Ogun said that the exercise would be conducted in two phases across the country.

He said, “Screening for the Northern Zone, comprising the North-Central, North-West and North-East geopolitical zones, will hold from Tuesday, July 14, to Friday, July 17.

“Artisans from the Southern Zone, comprising the South-East, South-West and South-South geopolitical zones, will be screened from Tuesday, July 21 to Friday, July 24.

“To ensure broad participation and accessibility, the screening will take place simultaneously in the three senatorial districts and each of the 36 states including the FCT.”

The director-general said that the decision to focus on practising artisans in this phase of the programme was informed by the urgent need for them.

He said that the need was to enhance the quality and competitiveness of Nigerian artisans in line with international best practices.

He added that many employment opportunities in Nigeria’s artisanal sector were increasingly being filled by foreign workers because many local artisans lacked the contemporary technical skills required in the industry.

According to him, the SUPA programme is specifically designed to bridge this gap by equipping Nigerian artisans with modern technical competencies, globally recognised certifications and industry-relevant skills.

He stated, “These commitment will enable them compete successfully within Nigeria and in the international labour market.”

Mr Ogun said that the ITF recently concluded the international certification examinations for beneficiaries of the 2025 SUPA programme.

He said the examinations, which was supervised by Alberk QA Technic of Türkiye, assessed thousands of artisans across more than 20 high-demand vocational and technical trades using internationally recognised standards.

He described the successful completion of the certification examinations as another significant milestone in the Federal Government’s drive to produce globally certified artisans.

“The artisans are capable of meeting the manpower requirements of modern industries,” he said.

Mr Ogun noted that the ITF was expanding its partnerships with additional international certification bodies to ensure that Nigerian artisans acquire globally recognised and accepted qualifications.

He said the efforts would support in improving their employability and mobility across international labour markets.

He also noted that preparations had been concluded for the incubation phase of the 2025 SUPA programme.

According to him, the incubation component was designed to provide successful beneficiaries with mentorship, business development support and enterprise incubation services.

He added that the incubation services would help to establish sustainable businesses, create employment opportunities and contribute meaningfully to national economic growth.

He stated that the SUPA programme remained one of the Federal Government’s flagship human capital development initiatives being implemented by the ITF to up-skill, certify and license Nigerian artisans.

“The programme is strategically positioned to enhance artisans’ productivity and competitiveness, and expand employment opportunities in both domestic and international labour markets.

“It will also support Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda through the development of a competent, highly skilled and globally competitive workforce,” he said.

He urged shortlisted applicants to present themselves for screening at their designated centres on the scheduled dates with required credentials.

(NAN)