In a significant boost to the Industrial Training Fund’s (ITF) efforts to certify Nigerian artisans with internationally recognised qualifications, a director, Mrs. Olayinka Shodunke, and 21 other staff members of the Fund were certified on Wednesday as international examiners by the City & Guilds of London Institute.
The training, which was aimed at strengthening staff capacity in instructional delivery, learner engagement, and assessment practices in line with City & Guilds international standards, followed the formal approval of the Industrial Training Fund as a City & Guilds Approved Examination Centre.
A statement by Thomas Ngor, Head, Press and Public Relations of ITF, said the approval that was formally communicated via a letter on November 1, 2024, by the Chief Executive Officer of City & Guilds, Kirstie Donnelly, MBE, further affirmed the ITF’s growing stature as a credible institution for skills certification and workforce development as well as empowered it to deliver, assess, and certify a wide range of globally recognised qualifications across engineering, information technology, construction, hospitality, and allied technical fields.
According to the statement, “With this certification, the ITF can now administer City & Guilds examinations in industry-relevant competencies that meet international benchmarks for Levels 2 and 3 diplomas and other certificates in trades including Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and IT Systems Support.”
Speaking on the milestone, the ITF Team Lead and Director of Standardisation, Certification and Consultancy Services Department, Mrs. Olayinka Shodunke described the certification as a landmark achievement for the Fund and commended the Director-General of the ITF, Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, for his pivotal role in securing the City & Guilds approval and positioning the ITF as an internationally recognised examination centre.
According to her, the Director-General’s leadership and reform-driven approach have ensured that the ITF remains at the forefront of manpower development in Nigeria, particularly through strategic partnerships and alignment with global standards.
She noted that the certification would have a far-reaching impact on the Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) Programme, a flagship Federal Government initiative being implemented by the ITF to train, retrain, certify, and licence Nigerian artisans to international standards.
