The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) says it paid a total sum of N 1.1 billion as students and supervisory allowance under the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) in 2023.

The director general (DG) of ITF, Dr Afiz Ogun, said this on Saturday in Jos during the fund’s 2023 Performance Review Meeting and Merit Award Ceremony.

Mr Ogun said the sum of N733,035,000 was paid to 48,869 university students, N232,970,00 to 23,297 polytechnic students, and N72,380,000 was paid to 7,238 students from the colleges of education.

According to the DG, the agency also paid a total of N13,805,143,635 to 580 companies as reimbursement for the year 2023.

He said the reimbursement of the 580 companies was in line with the ITF’s enabling act to reimburse contributing employers up to 50 per cent of the statutory annual training contribution by them if the governing council was satisfied by the training outline of the employers.

Mr Ogun also disclosed that the fund, in 2023, through its various skills intervention programmes, trained and empowered more than 42,000 Nigerians with various skills and start-up packs.

He said the Skill-up Artisans (SUPA) programme was a transformative initiative by the federal government that was committed to upskilling, licensing and empowerment of five million Nigerians annually.

He said the aim of the initiative was to help artisans acquire the requisite skills of global standards.

He further said the SUPA programme showed the government’s commitment to promote economic development and improve the standard of living of its citizens.

Mr Ogun noted that, apart from driving national development, the programme would ensure the availability of skilled workers for the country’s domestic industries and would in turn create a sustainable pipeline for labour export.

According to him, the fund has commenced the collation of data on Nigerian artisans while awaiting the official launch of the programme by President Bola Tinubu.

In his remarks, Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau commended the fund for its contribution towards the training and empowerment of youths in the country with the requisite skills.

Mr Mutfwang, who was represented by his commissioner for science and technology, Obed Nanjul, assured the fund of the state government’s unflinching support.

Awards were given to the best area office in training activities, the best area office in revenue generation and the best performing area office under categories A,B and C.

The Isolo Area Office in Lagos emerged as the overall best performing area office in training activities in 2023.

(NAN)