The Manufacturing, Construction, Automobile and Textile Stakeholders Forum (MCATSF) in Abuja recently commended Dr. Afiz Ogun Oluwatoyin, Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), for his outstanding leadership, innovation, and commitment to empowering Nigerian entrepreneurs and creating job opportunities. The stakeholders praised Dr. Oluwatoyin’s efforts in revitalizing the ITF, aligning with its core mandate, and driving economic growth through youth empowerment and skills development.

During the meeting, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa, the Secretary General of MCATSF, highlighted the positive impact of the recent Skill-Up Artisans Program, which has benefited over a million individuals in both formal and informal sectors. He emphasized the inclusivity of the initiative, involving collaboration with stakeholders and providing certification and international opportunities for participants.

“We as a body commend the effort of the DG ITF Dr Toyin Afiz Ogun for his purposeful leadership, pragmatic re-engineering of the organization, and impact on the lives of Nigerians.

We want to thank him for making sure our people are carried along in the recent Skill-Up Artisans Program that has targeted over a million of us in the formal and informal sectors.

The initiative is well executed. It has given room for our people to be certified by the government and also opened us to many opportunities outside the shores of Nigeria.”

Alhaji Musa also added that; this is the first time such an initiative is being handled with all the hands of stakeholders on deck. He also said everyone was carried along and allowed to impute one or two things to further solidify the idea for national development. “Dr Afiz has shown the capacity of a man who knows a tree does not make a forest. For the first time, he converged with us and consulted with us on how to make the dream turn into reality.

We also gave him our support and today the Initiatives under him were executed with panache and positive leadership.

We want to thank him for giving us a listening ear. We appreciate his operational changes in the organization; technical and entrepreneurial development as well as advisory services on micro, small, and medium enterprises as key achievements.”

Alhaji Yahaya Umar Sondagi, the President of MCATSF, also emphasized Dr. Oluwatoyin’s dedication and integrity, urging all stakeholders to embrace the positive changes within the ITF. He encouraged a proactive approach to work and highlighted the importance of adapting to new working standards for the organization’s progress.

Furthermore, Alhaji Musa urged detractors to recognize the ITF’s achievements and refrain from baseless attacks on Dr Oluwatoyin and the organization. He emphasized the need for constructive engagement and cooperation to advance national development.

“Constant attempt by the fictitious group to cast aspersions on the integrity of Dr Afiz by making unsubstantiated allegations about him and the organization is quite unfortunate and despicable. We urge those behind the plot to desist from throwing stones at the glass house.“

“They should desist from sponsoring defamatory statements, a campaign of calumny, an insulting and entirely fictitious story which is a figment of their wild imaginations. We also urge Dr Afiz to extend his olive branch to them if they have a change of mind so all stakeholders can work together for the progress of the country.”

‘’Dr Afiz is tremendously blessed with positive energy. He is also a straightforward and hardworking Nigerian who is working assiduously to put Nigeria on the global map as a hub for talent spotting, certification and talent exporting. He is an upright man with good character, disciplinarian, quietly efficient and has a reputation for accountability.”

In conclusion, the National Coordinator of the Association of Nigerian Artisans and Technicians ASNAT, Mr Adeshina Akinyemi on behalf of his association expressed their unwavering support for Dr Oluwatoyin’s vision and encouraged a collective effort towards driving positive change within the ITF for the benefit of the country.

“We urge the management of ITF not to lower the working bar for some people who are used to the conventional way of working and are not ready to level up. Change has come in the ITF and they should embrace it and work in hand with Dr Afiz to bring about the needed change.”