The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has announced the commencement of on boarding 100,000 artisans for the next batch of trainees under the second phase of its Skill Up Artisans Programme (SUPA). This follows the successful graduation of 29,000 artisans in 2024 as part of the programme.
ITF Director General, Oluwatoyin Ogun, explained that the SUPA programme is structured into three phases: Foundation, SUPA I, and SUPA II. The Foundation phase introduces the training, while SUPA I focuses on equipping artisans with three key soft skills: certification in Artisan Project Management, Artisan Health and Safety, and Artisan Ethics and Patriotism. SUPA II, on the other hand, offers technical and entrepreneurial training for artisans, including exposure to certification exams by International Awarding Bodies.
Ogun confirmed that the 100,000 artisans in the next batch, which includes the 29,000 graduates of the Foundation phase, will soon receive formal notifications of their “Admission into SUPA Letters.” He added that the process for training and graduating the 29,000 artisans in 2024 involved creating a registration platform, conducting a screening exercise across the country’s 90 Senatorial Districts, validating the registered artisans, assessing and enlisting qualified training centres, and monitoring the training provided.
The full list of the 100,000 trainees in Phase I will be published on both the SUPA website and ITF’s official site. The Phase I training will last approximately 6–8 weeks, after which artisans will have the opportunity to sit for certification exams at no cost. Successful candidates will automatically move on to SUPA Phase II, where they will undergo technical training in their chosen trade and participate in further certification exams.
Ogun also revealed that ITF is planning to assess more Training Centres, aiming to expand its network from 800 to at least 1,500 centres. Discussions are ongoing with original equipment manufacturers to facilitate bulk purchases of training equipment to support the privately-owned centres enlisted under SUPA.
To further enhance the programme’s impact, ITF is collaborating with the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA) to connect SUPA graduates with job opportunities in various industries, ensuring the programme’s successful integration into the broader economy.
