NAN-H-107
ITF
By Martha Agas
Jos, Sept. 29, 2016(NAN) The Industrial Trust Fund (ITF) has expressed its readiness to tackle Nigeria’s economic recession via innovative ideas toward fast tracking its mandate on human capital development.
Mr Joseph Ari, the new ITF Director General made this known, when he assumed duty at ITF headquarters in Jos.
“Economic recession can only be overcome by the ITF mandate of human capital development with the support of key stakeholders in the sector, which countries like Singapore, Germany Brazil, Canada, Brazil and Malaysia adopted through their various agencies similar to ITF,’’ he said.
He urged the management and staff to contribute innovative ideas to revamp and reinvigorate the industrial sector through their experiences, expertise and expansive network.
Ari said that he served as member of various committees in the last political dispensation which fashioned out the blue print of 10 years strategic plan.
He, however, expressed optimism that the fund could make it if the new policies as contained in its amendment Act of 2011 were well harnessed.
Ari said that the expansion of the present structure to the 10 departmental structures, four units and the four-year roadmap of the fund were some of the new policies.
He, therefore, pledged to operate an open door policy where transparency and accessibility would justify the confidence accorded to the organisation by President Muhamadu Buhari.
Earlier in his remarks, Mr Dickson Onouha, the former Acting DG said that ITF was able to restore access to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which was formerly in comatose for almost a year.
Onouha said that the organisation maintained and sustained a healthy relationship with contributing employers with no outstanding reimbursement claims.
He said that the fund had commenced the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP) for 500 trainees in 18 states and an additional 600 selected from IDPs camp in Maiduguri, Borno State.
NAN reports that new DG served as the Director of Public Relations, External Affairs and Publicity of ITF, Director of Administration and Human Resources, later moved to Corporate Planning Department, Director and Business Training Development Department. (NAN)
MAA/AOM/GY
============
Edited by Mohammed Abdullahi/Grace Yussuf)