The Industrial Training Fund says it has kicked off the enrolment processes for the next batch of artisans and trainees under the second phase of its Skill-Up Artisans Programme.
This came after the successful completion of the programme’s pilot phase, which saw 29,000 artisans graduate in early 2024.
The SUPA programme aims to bridge the skilled manpower gap in Nigerian industries by identifying, training, and upskilling both existing and aspiring artisans. It also leverages technology to assess skill levels and provide targeted training.
The SUPA programme is designed to unfold in three phases: Foundation, SUPA I, and SUPA II. The Foundation phase serves as an introductory course, while SUPA I focuses on the development of key soft skills, including certification in Artisan Project Management, Artisan Health and Safety, and Artisan Ethics and Patriotism.
The ITF Director-General, Dr Oluwatoyin Ogun, in a statement on Sunday, said the intervention was created to address head-on the problem of the availability of skilled manpower to Nigerian Industries.
“Since its 54 years of existence, the Skill Up Artisan programme of the fund is the most well-thought-out and impactful intervention to address head-on the problem of availability of skilled manpower to Nigerian Industries and SUPA aims to aggregate existing and intending artisans in Nigeria by leveraging technology, ascertain their skill level, implement training to upskill these artisans, expose them to international certification examinations and ensure they are connected to the real economy either through direct employment or placement in foreign jobs,” he said.
The ITF boss further elaborated, “SUPA emphasizes a dual approach, blending technical and entrepreneurial training with access to international certification exams provided by globally recognized awarding bodies. Our goal is to ensure that artisans not only enhance their skills but also become capable of contributing to the global economy.”
Reflecting on the success of the first phase, Ogun disclosed that 29,000 artisans graduated in the 2024 Foundation phase.
He highlighted that ITF created a streamlined registration platform (www.supa.itf.gov.ng) and carried out a thorough screening exercise in all 90 Senatorial Districts across the country to validate registered artisans.
He said the fund also ensured that qualified training centres were selected, and ongoing monitoring of the training process confirmed that artisans received the stipends promised while the centres were duly compensated for their role.
Looking ahead to the next phase, the ITF is implementing several innovations aimed at improving the process of onboarding trainees, enhancing payment systems for both artisans and training centres, and further restructuring internal processes to support the program’s expansion.
“Phase II will see the training of an additional 100,000 artisans, including the 29,000 graduates from the Foundation phase. These artisans will soon receive formal admission letters into the SUPA program, and the full list of trainees will be published on the SUPA website,” Ogun said.
The ITF boss noted that “the fund is pushing to complete the production of personal protective equipment as well as obtain essential training materials before the commencement of the programme and the 100,000 artisans to be trained in SUPA phase I include the 29,000 artisans who graduated in the foundation phase of the programme.
“They are to look out for formal Notification of Admission into SUAP Letters, which will be dispatched very soon. Additionally, the comprehensive list of the 100,000 trainees onboarded will be displayed on both the SUPA website (www.supa.itf.gov.ng) and on ITF’s official website (www.itf.gov.ng).”
He said phase I training is designed to last for approximately six to eight weeks, after which all the artisans are allowed to write the certification examination at the end of the programme at no cost to them.
“Successful candidates from this phase will automatically transition to SUPA Phase II where the technical training in their chosen trade area will be undertaken and certification examination written,” Ogun said.
He said the agency is preparing to undertake another round of training centre assessments to increase its number of enlisted training centres from 800 to at least 1,500 centres.
He also noted that the agency’s management is discussing with original equipment manufacturers the bulk purchase of training equipment to support these privately owned training centres enlisted under SUPA.
“To ensure that the three exits into the larger economy identified under SUPA are fully activated, ITF has reached an advanced stage in its work with the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association to link SUPA graduates with gainful employment in industries.
“Also, the structure for SUPA business incubation is being finalized and will be put to the test in other special projects which will be delivered very soon. I’m doing all in my power to entrench SUPA as an alternative route to prosperity beyond formal education,” Ogun said.
