By Amaka Okafor
The Ebonyi State Government has intensified efforts to tackle unemployment and poverty through skills acquisition, as the Commissioner for Skill Development and Job Creation, Nwogo Ajuka Obasi, paid a courtesy visit to the Industrial Training Fund to seek strategic collaboration on training programmes for residents of the state.
Professor Obasi said Governor Francis Nwifuru was committed to equipping Ebonyi people with practical and entrepreneurial skills that would enable them to become economically independent and self-reliant.
“The Governor is determined to ensure that Ebonyians acquire the skills needed to create wealth and improve their standard of living,” the commissioner said. He added that the visit was aimed at forging a partnership with the ITF to provide quality vocational and technical training across the state.
According to him, the Nwifuru administration has continued to invest in programmes designed to lift citizens out of poverty through skills acquisition, entrepreneurship development and job creation initiatives.
Obasi stressed that the Ministry of Skill Development and Job Creation would continue to implement policies that empower youths and women with functional skills capable of reducing unemployment, lowering poverty rates and driving economic growth in Ebonyi State.
He also commended the ITF Area Manager, Mr. Franklin Ikechukwu Okafor, for his commitment to transforming job seekers into job creators through practical training that builds competence and confidence.
Responding, the ITF Area Manager, Mr. Franklin Ikechukwu Okafor, said the Fund was established to promote and encourage the acquisition of specialised skills required for industry, commerce and national development.
“Our objective is to develop a pool of skilled local manpower that will meet the human resource needs of both the public and private sectors, thereby reducing dependence on foreign artisans,” Okafor said.
He assured the commissioner that the Industrial Training Fund would partner with the Ebonyi State Ministry of Skill Development and Job Creation to train residents in practical vocational skills and entrepreneurship, with the goal of promoting self-reliance, reducing poverty and improving employability across the state.
