The Kogi State Ministry of Commerce and Industry has pledged to strengthen collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund to expand skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, and employment opportunities for youths.

The permanent secretary of the ministry, Sualihat Musa-Amana, made the pledge during a courtesy visit to the ITF Area Office in Lokoja on Monday.

Ms Musa-Amana, who represented the commissioner for commerce and industry, Muhammed Shuaibu, said the visit was part of the ministry’s efforts to build strategic partnerships with institutions whose mandates aligned with the state’s industrialisation and economic development agenda.

She said stronger collaboration with the ITF would create more opportunities for capacity building, entrepreneurship development and youth empowerment.

According to her, the ministry is committed to identifying practical areas of partnership that will improve workforce development and equip young people with relevant technical and vocational skills.

Responding, Thomas Bajeh, the ITF area manager, described the visit as the first official courtesy call his office had received from the ministry and commended the initiative.

Mr Bajeh gave an overview of the fund’s national skills development programmes, saying they were designed to equip artisans and youths with practical competencies required in the country’s evolving industrial sector.

He, however, observed that Kogi had recorded relatively low participation in many programmes compared with other states, attributing this to inadequate public awareness and a shortage of accredited training centres.

According to him, the ITF has begun an assessment tour across the state to identify and accredit additional training facilities in Okene, Ajaokuta, Idah and Anyigba.

He added that the fund was also exploring the use of existing facilities, including the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Training Centre and the Shea Butter Processing Facility in Okene, to expand access to skills training for residents.

Mr Bajeh stressed the need to prepare Kogi youths for emerging employment opportunities, particularly with major infrastructure projects such as the ongoing gas pipeline project.

He said equipping indigenes with relevant technical skills would enable them to benefit from such projects instead of losing employment opportunities to skilled workers from outside the state.

The ITF area manager also highlighted the fund’s statutory responsibility of issuing compliance certificates, saying both organisations agreed to sustain engagement on how the certification process could complement the ministry’s work with local businesses and contractors.

Also speaking, Friday George, the senior special assistant to the governor on industrial training, assured the ITF of the state government’s support.

Mr George said that the agency’s mandate aligned with the vision of Governor Ahmed Ododo’s administration to promote youth empowerment, industrial growth and human capital development.

He pledged to brief the governor on the outcome of the engagement with a view to strengthening collaboration between the state government and the ITF.

The meeting ended with both organisations reaffirming their commitment to sustained collaboration to enhance manpower development, promote entrepreneurship and create more employment opportunities for youths in Kogi.