The Federal Government has inaugurated a seven-man planning committee ahead of the maiden edition of the National Industrial Manpower Development Summit, aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s industrial trajectory through robust human capital development.
Inaugurating the committees in Abuja, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, said the summit is not just another event, but a bold declaration of intent to make Nigeria’s industrial growth people-driven, skills-based, and globally competitive.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the ministry quoted the minister as saying, “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 a strategic convergence point where government, industry, academia and international partners will collectively reimagine Nigeria’s industrial skills architecture.”
According to Enoh, the summit aligns with the broader economic vision of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises industrialisation as a cornerstone of national development.
“The President is clear-eyed in his belief that people are the most precious infrastructure of any nation. This is why significant public investments are being channelled into skills acquisition, vocational training, and workforce modernisation across all geo-economic zones,” he added.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industrial Training and Development, Adamson Ayinde, said the country is at a critical point in its economic transition, where industrialisation must be backed by strategic manpower development.
“As we strive to diversify our economy and reduce dependence on oil, the industrial sector stands out as a key pillar for sustainable growth. But without a skilled, adaptable, and innovative workforce, this vision will remain out of reach,” Ayinde said.
He described the summit as a platform to assess the current manpower landscape, close skill gaps, foster collaboration among stakeholders, and promote technological innovation.
Outlining the roles of the inaugurated committees, Ayinde said members are expected to design a comprehensive agenda, coordinate stakeholder input, mobilise resources, manage logistics, and ensure post-summit implementation of outcomes.
On his part, the Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund, Oluwatoyin Ogun, commended the Presidential aide for the initiative, describing it as timely.
According to him, the ITF is already executing a programme called SUPA (Skill-Up Artisans), designed to retrain Nigerian artisans to meet global standards.
“We have the mandate from President Tinubu to raise the competency of Nigerian artisans, and this summit comes at the right time as it aligns with the President’s vision for economic diversification and sustainable development,” Ogun said.
He pledged ITF’s continued commitment to national human capital development, calling on stakeholders to support the initiative to realise its full potential.
