The Federal Government has officially inaugurated seven planning committees in preparation for the upcoming National Industrial Manpower Summit, a key initiative aimed at bolstering Nigeria’s industrial development through strategic workforce enhancement.
Speaking during the inauguration in Abuja, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, emphasized the need for industrial growth to be supported not only by infrastructure and policy but also by a robust, skilled workforce.
“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… 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,” he stated.
Senator Enoh reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to positioning Nigeria as a leading industrial powerhouse in Africa, noting that investment and reforms must be complemented by a modern and capable labour force.
“The summit we are convening will serve as a strategic convergence point—where government, industry, academia, and international partners will collectively reimagine Nigeria’s industrial skills architecture… the time has come to redesign our human capital pipeline for the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he added.
He emphasized President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” as a cornerstone of the country’s industrialization goals, underlining ongoing government efforts to prioritize vocational training and skills acquisition across all regions.
“Your expertise, passion, and collaboration are the engine of this summit’s success… together, let us build a resilient industrial future—one that secures Nigeria’s place not just as a participant, but as a leader in Africa’s next industrial era,” the Minister concluded.
Delivering a welcome address, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industrial Training and Development, Hon. Adamson Oluwatosin Ayinde, identified capacity building as a vital component of sustainable economic progress.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our collective endeavour to reposition Nigeria’s industrial sector through strategic human capital development… Nigeria stands at a pivotal juncture in its economic trajectory,” he said.
He stressed the need for a workforce equipped to handle the demands of rapid technological change, describing the summit as a strategic platform designed to assess current gaps, engage stakeholders, and craft policies that future-proof the nation’s industrial workforce.
“To remain competitive, our workforce must not only possess technical skills but also exhibit creativity, problem-solving abilities, and a commitment to continuous learning,” Ayinde noted.
He outlined the responsibilities of the planning committee, which include developing the summit agenda, mobilizing resources, coordinating stakeholder input, and ensuring successful follow-up after the event.
“The members of this Planning Committee have been carefully selected… this inclusive representation reflects the multi-sectoral commitment required to achieve lasting progress in industrial manpower development,” he explained.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Dr. Oluwatoyin Afiz Ogun, praised the initiative and emphasized the need for Nigeria to shift from importing skills to building them locally.
“We in ITF have been given the mandate by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to retrain Nigerian artisans towards meeting international standard… therefore we’re very happy that this type of initiative is coming up at the right time,” he said.
Dr. Ogun assured stakeholders of ITF’s full support through its national training programs, particularly its SUPA initiative aimed at boosting technical competencies.
Responding on behalf of the Committee Members, the Chairman, Planning Committee of the Summit, Barrister Abdulghani Arobo promised not to betray the confidence reposed in them, stating that the members would discharge the duty to the best of their ability.
Arobo said nothing of such summit has happened in the history of Nigeria because of stakeholders’ refusal to conversations around industrial manpower, even as appreciated the foresight of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industrial Training and Development.
“We therefore assure him that his vision on this summit will be adequately realized and satisfied through the composition of right team for the summit.
“Let me also align with the Director General of ITF, Dr Oluwatoyin Afiz Ogun on the Agency’s intervention programme and initiative known as SUPA towards operating as support structure in actualizing the aims and objectives of the summit and this will also provide clarity, understanding and action plan for a country that is serious about development because we cannot talk about industrialization and economic development without human capacity development,” he added.
