By Oluwasegun Oyetunde
The Senate Committee on Local Content, has sort clarification on the utilization of $300million domiciled in the Bank of Industry (BoI) for manpower training in collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) especially in the oil and gas sector.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, raised the issue during a meeting with representatives from the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and Bank of Industry (BoI), in Abuja, yesterday. The committee explained that the meeting was designed to enhance the operational synergy between government agencies in order to maximise the impact on Nigerian beneficiaries.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also expressed displeasure with the N10,000-N15,000 stipend paid to students for participating in the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) which lasts for up to six months.
The Committee chairman equally faulted government agencies and institutions as well as private organizations, who reject students seeking to undertake their industrial training in their respective establishments.
To address this challenge, She called for greater synergy between the organisations and ITF to ensure students are accepted whenever they approach any organisation for their SIWES. She further urged the ITF should consider digitisation of the SIWES programme where SIWES opportunities available in organizations will be listed on the ITF portal.
In addition, the federal lawmaker revealed that she was considering working with relevant stakeholders to produce a policy or regulation that will compel organisations to make provisions for a minimum number of SIWES students in their organisation at all times.
She stressed the importance of a joint effort by all stakeholders in promoting local content, particularly in the oil and gas sector, where $300 million is dedicated for Nigeriana to access through the Bank of Industry.