In a decisive step toward repositioning Nigeria's industrial landscape, the Federal Government has inaugurated a seven-member planning committee for the maiden edition of the National Industrial Manpower Development Summit.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, described the summit as a strategic initiative aimed at making Nigeria's industrial development people-centered, skills-driven, and globally competitive.
"This summit is not just another event on the calendar," the minister said. "It is a bold statement of intent—to anchor our industrial growth on human capital development and to unlock the full potential of Nigeria's workforce as the engine of economic transformation."
According to a statement released by the Ministry on Wednesday, the summit is envisioned as a platform that brings together key stakeholders across government, industry, academia, and development partners to reimagine the country's industrial skills framework.
Enoh emphasized that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes industrialisation as a core pillar of national development. "The President firmly believes that people are the most valuable infrastructure of any nation," he said. "That's why the administration is investing significantly in skills acquisition, vocational training, and workforce modernization across all regions."
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Also speaking at the event, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industrial Training and Development, Adamson Ayinde, underscored the urgency of strategic manpower planning to support the country's economic transition.
"As Nigeria seeks to diversify away from oil dependency, a skilled, adaptable, and innovative workforce is essential to making the industrial sector a sustainable growth engine," Ayinde said. He added that the summit will serve as a platform to assess the current manpower landscape, identify skill gaps, strengthen stakeholder collaboration, and promote innovation.
Ayinde outlined the committee's mandate, which includes developing a comprehensive summit agenda, coordinating stakeholder engagement, mobilising resources, overseeing logistics, and ensuring effective implementation of post-summit outcomes.
Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Oluwatoyin Ogun, commended the initiative as timely and aligned with ITF's current programs, particularly the Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) initiative, which is focused on retraining Nigerian artisans to meet global standards.
"We are fully committed to this vision," Ogun said. "The ITF has a presidential mandate to elevate the competence of Nigerian artisans, and this summit is a critical step in that direction."
He called on stakeholders across sectors to rally behind the summit and contribute to building a workforce that can power Nigeria's industrial aspirations.
