By George Ozalla
The Federal Government has taken a significant step towards repositioning Nigeria’s industrial trajectory by inaugurating seven planning committees for the National Industrial Manpower Summit. This initiative aims to develop a skilled and globally competitive workforce, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The National Industrial Manpower Summit is designed to assess the current landscape of Nigeria’s industrial workforce, engage stakeholders, formulate strategic policies, and promote innovation and technology integration. The summit’s objective is to create a comprehensive framework for human capital development, ensuring that Nigeria’s workforce is equipped to drive industrial growth and competitiveness.
Senator John Owan Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, emphasized the importance of human capital development in Nigeria’s industrial transformation. “This initiative marks a defining step toward unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s industrial transformation through one of its most vital levers: human capital development. The summit is not just an event — it’s a declaration of intent. It signals our collective resolve to ensure that Nigeria’s industrial rise is not only powered by infrastructure and policy but also by people: skilled, equipped, and globally competitive.”
Adamson Ayinde, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industrial Training and Development, highlighted the need for a skilled workforce that can adapt to the demands of the fourth Industrial Revolution. “Today marks a significant milestone in our collective endeavor to reposition Nigeria’s industrial sector through strategic human capital development. The fourth Industrial Revolution has ushered in an era where technological advancements rapidly redefine industry standards. To remain competitive, our workforce must not only possess technical skills but also exhibit creativity, problem-solving abilities, and a commitment to continuous learning.”
Dr. Oluwatoyin Ogun, Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), emphasized the importance of developing local skills to reduce reliance on foreign expertise. “The time has come for Nigeria to put an end to importation of manpower hence the need for the National Industrial Manpower Summit. We in ITF have been given the mandate by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to retrain Nigerian artisans towards meeting international standards and we have started in a program named SUPA.”
Barrister Abdulghani Arobo, Chairman of the Planning Committee of the Summit, assured that the committee would work towards realizing the president’s vision for the summit. “We therefore assure him that his vision on this summit will be adequately realized and satisfied through the composition of the right team for the summit. Let me also align with the Director General of ITF, Dr. Oluwatoyin Afiz Ogun on the Agency’s intervention program and initiative known as SUPA towards operating as a support structure in actualizing the aims and objectives of the summit.”
