Director-General of Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Sir Joseph Ari.
BY ADAKOLE HASSAN, Sokoto –
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) said yesterday in Sokoto that no fever than 333,000 artisans and transporters will be given N30,000 each across the federation to help cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at a town hall meeting with artisans and transporters In Sokoto, the Director General/Chief Executive of the Fund, Sir Joseph Ari, said the MSMEs Survival Fund is categorized into Payroll Support Scheme, Guaranteed Offtake and MSME Grant Scheme.
The DG who was represented by the ITF Kaduna Area Manager, Yahaya Manu, while stressing that 2,460 persons would benefit from Sokoto, further explained that the Survival Fund would help to assist in paying employees of a business, help business to kick start or rebuild as well as allows free grants to MSMEs.
He said: “There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has has a devastating effect on the Nigerian economy. This is felt by the most vulnerable section of the population that dominates the informal sector of the economy and MSMEs.
“To support these groups of individuals and businesses, the federal government of Nigeria under the leadership of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR initiated the MSMEs Survival Fund as a component of the economic sustainability plan.”
While stressing that ITF as a human resource development agency of the federal government has no doubt contributed in training Nigerians on technical and entrepreneurial skills towards meeting personnel need of the nation’s economy, Sir Arih said that has also helped in job and wealth creation, which in turn stemed rampant cards of unemployment and transform the economic landscape of the country.
Speaking on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Commerce, Hon Bashir Gidado commended President Muhammadu Buhari for ensuring that such assistance gets to the vulnerable persons in the society.
On his part, the Sokoto state Area Manager of ITF, Dauda Mshelizah, also thanked the federal government for such gestures, even as he advised beneficiaries to make judicious use of the assistance.