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From Gyang Bere, Jos
The Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Joseph Air, has said that the Fund has paid over N1.1 billion for the management of the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and supervisory allowances.
Ari who gave the assurance on Wednesday at the 2021 Annual Merit Award Ceremony of the organisation said the ITF will continue to support the training of students of Engineering, Technology and other allied disciplines in Nigeria tertiary institutions.
‘As our brainchild and given its integral role in the training of Students of Engineering, Technology and other allied disciplines in our tertiary Institutions, the ITF accords priority attention to the management of the Scheme.
‘In the year under review, the Fund paid a total sum of One Billion, One Hundred and Ninety-Five Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Thousand (N1,195,990,000.00) as SIWES students and supervisory allowances.’
According to him, a breakdown of the figure depicted that the sum of N961,860,000 was paid to 64,124 University students; N162,920,000 was paid to 16,292 Polytechnic students, while the sum of N71,210,000 was paid to 7,121 students of Colleges of Education.
He assured Nigerian Students of the ITF’s continuous commitment to prompt payment of students and supervisors’ allowances as soon as money is received by the Fund from the Federal Government.
On reimbursement, the Director-General disclosed that Fund reimbursed contributing employers up to fifty per cent of the statutory annual training contribution by them if the Fund’s Governing Council is satisfied that training programmes of the employers among other things are in accordance with the Fund’s Reimbursement Scheme.
The Director-General said the Fund had equally paid a total of N4,613,599,508.72 to 448 companies as reimbursement in the year under review.
‘In addition, the Fund organised several reimbursement workshops to apprise employers of labour on the processes involved in the Reimbursement Scheme. It is our commitment to ensuring that all employers of labour are reimbursed if they meet the requirement for such reimbursement,’ he stated.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adeniyi applauded the Director-General for the laudable initiative which has boosted the economy of the state.
‘It is obvious to me that rather than allow the weight of your achievements to lull you into complacency or to rest on your oars, you have become more vibrant and determined in the pursuit of your mandate.
‘This, for me, is not entirely surprising, given the Fund’s track record since the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR as the President of Nigeria. From reports available to me, I am fully aware that in the last six years you implemented several life-transforming skills intervention programmes and other initiatives that empowered thousands of Nigerians with requisite skills for employability and entrepreneurship.
‘I am equally not oblivious of the fact that in order to ameliorate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your numerous stakeholders, the Fund conducted online training programmes free of charge for organisations, while also playing a key role in the implementation of the MSMEs Survival Fund, which was introduced by the Federal Government to cushion the effect of the pandemic on Nigerians.’
