NECA PARTNERS ITF ON MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT

By Victor Ahiuma Young
 
Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, is partnering the Industrial Training Fund, ITF, to develop skilled middle-level manpower capable of meeting today's maintenance needs of industry.

At the presentation of some equipment donated to  the Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Yaba to boost technical education, Director-General of NECA, Mr. Segun Osinowo, called on  the Federal Government to invest more in technical training of Nigerian youths to facilitate socio-economic and development.

The equipment worth millions of naira was donated by NECA and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

According to Osinowo, 'For any economy to develop there must be a drive for government to invest in technical and vocational training.' He said that NECA's contribution to the school was parts of its efforts to solve education problem as well as improve technical skill of the youths.

The Director-General noted that the aim of the donation was to create a bench mark for the government to see the need to invest in technical education in the country, promising that the body would have donated to technical schools in the six geo-graphical zones but was constrained by insufficient fund.

'It is our desire to ensure that other geo-graphical zones benefit from the project but finance is our major constrain. After the FSTC Lagos, we will move to Oroso college in Abuja,' he said.'

Osinowo commended the FSTC for putting the equipment earlier donated to the college in February to productive and profitable use.

Speaking, Director-General of ITF, Professor Longman Wapmuk, said the fund was the major constrain to the organization's effort to improve the standard of technical college in the country.

He expressed the hope that the two organisations contribution would spur the government to contribute to the development of technical colleges.