NCDMB, ITF Train 100 Youths in Key Industry Skills
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), has concluded a six-month Technical and Vocational Training Programme, equipping 100 Nigerian youths with high-demand technical skills in eight critical trade areas. The close-out ceremony was held on Friday at the Raw Materials and Research Development Centre (RMRDC), Abuja.
The programme forms part of the Board’s Human Capacity Development initiatives under the Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap, designed to close identified indigenous manpower gaps in the oil and gas industry and its linkage sectors. Beneficiaries were drawn from the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGIC-JQS) platform and underwent a rigorous selection process involving computer-based tests and oral interviews, ensuring transparency and nationwide representation.
The training covered Automation and Mechatronics Technology, Building Technology, Residential Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Maintenance, Mechanical Services and Maintenance, Electrical/Electronic Technology, Instrumentation and Process Control, Mobile Phone Repairs and Troubleshooting, and Information and Communication Technology.
The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, was represented at the event by Barr. Dan Kikile, General Manager, Human Capacity Development, who delivered the keynote remarks. He described the programme as “a celebration of skills, resilience, and national growth” and noted that the trade areas were demand-driven, aligning with the oil and gas industry, the local construction sector, and emerging fields such as renewable energy and digital manufacturing.
He urged the graduates to embrace continuous learning, innovation, and professionalism, stressing that they now hold “the keys to self-reliance, job creation, and professional fulfillment.”
The ceremony was officially declared open by the Director General of ITF, Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin, who emphasised the importance of technical and vocational training for national development and expressed appreciation to partners like NCDMB for their support. Various ITF Abuja department heads who contributed to the programme’s success were also recognised.
The NCDMB-ITF partnership reflects the Board’s commitment to promoting local content by developing a skilled workforce for the oil and gas industry and other critical sectors of the economy, thereby fostering entrepreneurship, reducing unemployment, and driving national growth.
