Daniel Otera
A high-level diplomatic visit in Plateau State is energising fresh efforts around youth empowerment, skills acquisition, and international cooperation in Nigeria’s technical education sector.
On Friday, 4 July 2025, the Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, hosted Italy’s Acting Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Iacopo Foti, at the Government House in Jos. The visit signals a strategic move to deepen bilateral ties in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) positioned at the centre of the collaboration.
Established in 1971, the ITF is a federal agency headquartered in Jos, with a national mandate to equip Nigerians with practical skills and enhance workforce productivity. More than five decades later, its relevance has only intensified amid Nigeria’s growing youth unemployment crisis.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), youth unemployment within the 15–24 age group rose to 7.2 per cent in Q2 2023, up from 6.9 per cent in the previous quarter. This translates into millions of young Nigerians excluded from formal employment opportunities, underscoring the urgency of scaling up vocational training across the country.
Governor Mutfwang, during the engagement, expressed confidence that renewed cooperation with Italy could open new frontiers in technical knowledge exchange and youth inclusion.
“We are proud to host such a strategic national institution here in Jos,” the Governor stated. “Italy’s global leadership in vocational training and manufacturing presents a unique opportunity for collaboration, especially in equipping our youth with practical, life-preparing skills.”
He noted Plateau State’s long-standing connections with Italy, visible in architectural craftsmanship, interior design, fashion, and even culinary and sporting influences.
“Italy has always had a footprint here from furniture to fashion, from pasta to football,” he remarked. “We believe there’s still so much more we can do together.”
Italy is internationally recognised for its strong TVET framework. Data from the OECD’s Education and Training Monitor 2024 shows that Italy allocates around 4.1 per cent of GDP to public education aligning with the European Union average.
Of particular interest is the country’s emphasis on vocational education: over 40 per cent of Italian students aged 15–19 are enrolled in upper-secondary technical or vocational programmes, nearly double the OECD average of 23 per cent.
These figures reflect a deliberate national strategy to integrate young people into the workforce through structured, industry-focused training an approach Nigerian institutions such as the ITF may seek to emulate.
By contrast, Nigeria allocates less than 0.8 per cent of its education budget to technical and vocational education, according to BudgIT’s 2024 federal budget analysis. This persistent underfunding continues despite Nigeria’s high youth unemployment figures and growing demand for practical, job-ready skills.
The gap underscores the potential of international partnerships such as that emerging between Plateau and the Italian government to strengthen Nigeria’s skills ecosystem and promote sustainable youth development.
Mr. Iacopo Foti, Italy’s Acting Ambassador, expressed optimism about the partnership and described the visit as a crucial step in advancing bilateral development cooperation.
“We have always desired to visit Jos and interact with the ITF,” Foti said. “Though we had to postpone due to national events back home, we are glad to finally be here. Italy has a strong tradition in vocational training and manufacturing, and we’re eager to share our experience with Nigeria, especially its dynamic youth population.”
He also described the ITF as a “uniquely positioned” federal agency capable of becoming a continental hub for technical collaboration.
“Nigeria is a vast and diverse country. Understanding that diversity is critical to building meaningful partnerships, and this visit has certainly deepened our appreciation,” he added.
In 2024, the ITF received a federal budget allocation of approximately ₦50 billion, reflecting a significant commitment by the federal government to skills development. The Fund has expanded training across sectors including ICT, agro-processing, plumbing, garment making, and renewable energy.
However, little public data exists on post-training employment outcomes for ITF beneficiaries. While the Fund claims over 500,000 Nigerians were trained in 2024, independent reviews by labour analysts suggest that only a minority transition into long-term employment or entrepreneurship.
Nationally, unemployment data from the NBS indicates a drop in the overall jobless rate from 5.3 per cent in Q1 2024 to 4.3 per cent in Q2 2024. Youth unemployment, however, remains concerning at 6.5 per cent, with experts warning that these statistics may mask the true extent of underemployment and informal labour, particularly among young people.
State-level unemployment data for 2025 is yet to be published, but figures from the NBS 2023 Labour Force Survey show sharp regional disparities: Abia recorded an unemployment rate of 18.7 per cent, while Nasarawa had one of the lowest at 0.5 per cent. These contrasts highlight the need for decentralised interventions tailored to local economies.
Observers argue that while institutions like the ITF are vital to Nigeria’s human capital development, their impact will remain limited unless stronger linkages are forged between training and market demand.
Without such alignment, a large proportion of Nigeria’s youthful population risks being trained without being employed.
Italy’s model of vocational learning which blends formal instruction with hands-on apprenticeships may offer a valuable template. The upcoming collaboration may explore such adaptations within Nigeria’s context.
Both governments have agreed to initiate formal frameworks for cooperation. Technical sessions between the Italian Embassy and ITF are scheduled to begin in the coming weeks, focusing on curriculum development, faculty exchange, and potential co-financing of regional training hubs particularly in Northern Nigeria.
Governor Mutfwang reiterated Plateau State’s commitment to broadening the scope of the partnership to include cultural diplomacy, trade linkages, and knowledge exchange.
“We want our youth to be globally competitive. That is only possible through collaborations that are targeted, measurable, and sustainable,” he said.