A former Senior Education Specialist with the World Bank, Dr. Tunde Adekola, has urged Nigerian artisans to embrace the Skill Up Artisans (SUPA) Programme of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to improve their skills and access global opportunities.

‎Adekola made the call in Abuja during a joint tour of the ITF Model Skills Centre with the Director-General of the ITF, Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun. He expressed satisfaction with the practical projects being undertaken by participants in the ongoing eight-week Train the Trainers Capacity Workshop at the centre.

He described skills and vocational training as essential tools for addressing unemployment, creating jobs and reducing poverty, saying the SUPA Programme could contribute significantly to the achievement of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The former World Bank specialist encouraged artisans to take advantage of the programme to upgrade their skills in line with international best practices and position themselves to benefit from opportunities in the global market. He also commended the ITF leadership for its efforts in implementing the programme and called for greater stakeholder support.

‎Speaking during the tour, Ogun said participants in the Train the Trainers workshop were being trained in five key trade areas: floor tiling, bricklaying, carpentry, painting and decorating. He said experts from England and the United Kingdom were engaged to strengthen the capacity of the participants during the eight-week training.

‎Ogun added that participants would receive Brutus certification at the end of the programme. He also disclosed that the ITF was collaborating with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) to create better job and business opportunities for SUPA beneficiaries.

‎The ITF Director-General identified limited access to capital as one of the major challenges confronting artisans, saying the Fund was partnering with the Bank of Industry (BOI) to provide financial support to SUPA beneficiaries and enable them to expand their businesses.

‎Participants also testified to the impact of the training. A carpentry trainee, Temitope Ojo, said he had learnt international best practices in chair and bench making as well as workplace safety, while a painting trainee, Mary Ann, said she had acquired new techniques for executing classical painting works. Abubakar Badrin, a floor tiler, said the training had improved his tiling skills and taught him how to prioritise safety for himself and his clients.