The Nigerian Institute of Training and Development (NITAD) has called for increased investment in the training, retention and development of indigenous professionals to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign expertise.

The National President of NITAD, Bulus James, made the call on Tuesday in Jos at the institute’s 33rd annual conference, titled “Talent Sovereignty: Engineering the Self-Replenishing Workforce for National Rebirth.”

Mr James said Nigeria could achieve sustainable national development by deliberately developing its human resources and creating systems that ensured a continuous supply of skilled professionals.

He said the country must take ownership of its talent development process by strengthening training, mentorship and succession planning across institutions.

“Nigeria must take ownership of its talent development pipeline to reduce dependence on external expertise and build capacity from within,” he said.

According to him, developing a self-sustaining workforce requires continuous investment in skills development and policies that encourage institutions to train and retain competent personnel.

He said such investment would ensure that institutions remained productive despite the retirement, resignation or exit of experienced personnel.

“The future of our nation depends on our ability to deliberately grow, retain and deploy homegrown talent across all sectors,” Mr James said.

The NITAD president said the conference was organised to draw attention to the country’s human capital challenges and promote practical strategies for building a workforce capable of meeting Nigeria’s development needs.

Also speaking, Governor Caleb Mutfwang, represented by the Secretary to the Plateau State Government, Samuel Jatau, commended NITAD for focusing on workforce sustainability and human capital development.

Mr Mutfwang said the state government was committed to partnering with training institutions and other relevant stakeholders to bridge skills gaps and strengthen the capacity of its workforce.

He urged stakeholders to sustain efforts to equip Nigerians with relevant skills needed to drive economic growth and national development.

The conference attracted government officials, representatives of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), traditional rulers, training professionals and other stakeholders across the country. 

(NAN)