By Mohammed D. Eibo Adanu
At the 2016 Stakeholders’ Interactive Forum just concluded in Kaduna, organized by Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Kaduna Area Office, the Director-General/Chief Executive Sir Joseph N. Ari, reiterated the change agenda’s resolve for economic diversification. He also stressed the need for training and retraining to create job, wealth and self reliance. Thus, MotherCat Construction Company got the Best Human Capital Development Award while Sunglass Nigeria Ltd received Best Training Contributor Award. Stakeholders, namely, ABU, Zaria, KASU, NBTE, and PAN, etc, urged the Federal Government to make it mandatory for all MDAs, organizations both public and private to key-into ITF’s mandate for training and retraining of workforce in Nigeria as it is done in Germany, Singapore, Sao Paolo-Brazil, and Japan, etc.
No wonder, Ari’s appointment as the Director-General was greeted with accolades beyond the confines of its headquarters in Jos as many described it ‘as the best thing to have happened to the Fund for nearly 47 years of its existence. Ari has no doubt hit the ground running. Ari, who familiar with the operations of ITF, has a track record of achievements in all positions he had held previously. His working career spans over two decades. Ari started his career at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Lagos, as newscaster and later Nigerian Television Authority as news editor/caster. He was public relations manager, North at the National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria (NICON).
He was also director press and public affairs to two governors of Plateau State before his appointment as sole administrator and later general manager, Plateau Publishing Company (PPC), Jos. He was reassigned to Plateau Radio Television Corporation (PRTVC) as general manager. Owing to his exemplary performance, Sir Ari was appointed permanent secretary, Government House Administration; a position he held until his appointment by the Federal Government as deputy director and head of public relations and publicity unit (now public affairs) of Industrial Training Fund. As unit head, he initiated a successful rebranding programme that not only dragged an organisation out of murkiness to national consciousness, but also restored the confidence of stakeholders and paved the way for the successful implementation of ITF 2011 Act.
When he was deployed to other positions such as director of administration and human resource management; corporate planning; and business training and development departments as well as chairman of the fund’s training and research committee, he either initiated or was instrumental to the implementation of important policy documents. They include 4-year road map, 10-year strategic plan, amendment of ITF Act and the restructuring of ITF from the 10-department and units structure to 14, amongst numerous initiatives and policies that were targeted at actualising the fund’s mandate. These feats may have influenced his appointment as director-general of the organization by Mr. President. Feelers from the fund suggest that his deep insider knowledge of ITF and extensive experience have already come to play.
Barely two months as DG, Ari has taken steps that are suggestive that ITF would prosper under his leadership. Beyond making quick efforts to restore harmony within ranks of the fund’s stakeholders, Ari has unveiled a plan, which is intended to radically reposition and refocus the organization to more effectively deliver on its mandate and positively impact all segments of our national economy. The plan, which is perhaps the fund’s most ambitious and comprehensive since establishment, outlines a number of quick wins, medium and long term goals with strategies and firm timelines for their achievement.
In the area of agriculture, which is a major preoccupation of most Nigerians and a key component of the economic diversification agenda of the Muhammadu Buhari government, ITF intends to develop the capacity of Nigerian farmers along the agricultural value chain. Areas targeted include fish farming, poultry production, crop production, agric-mechanization, agro-business and post-harvest management, manure production, technology farm management, and water resource management, etc. To actualize this, the fund, beginning from January 2017, will commence the training of 17,000 farmers using its Industrial Skills Training Centre (ISTC) in Kano and the Centre for Excellence in Jos and undeveloped lands owned by the ITF in states for the establishment of demonstration farms. This is even as efforts are in place to acquire land in 8 states – Anambra, Benue, Kano, Plateau, Gombe, Oyo, Ogun and Niger – for the same purpose.
In view of the breadth of this plan, the fund will collaborate with states, ministries of agriculture, and existing local farmers, farmers’ associations like Fadama for farm equipment, seedlings and capacity building and also explore the possibility of financial grants from international and local agencies including Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Central Bank of Nigeria and Bank of Industry, amongst others. The emphasis of the plan on agriculture is premised on the conviction that to achieve food security and conserve the huge foreign reserve expended on the importation of food items; the requisite capacity of Nigerian farmers must be developed. These projects are expected to be completed between 2018 and 2020. Implementing all these will certainly task the new DG, but given his antecedents, they are surmountable.
Adanu, a media and communications specialist, wrote via [email protected] nium ute, se mus eo iam o nos, Pales! Simpra? Enia? que inim
