The Federal Government has inaugurated a seven-member planning committee for the first-ever National Industrial Manpower Development Summit, a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s industrial development through skilled human capital.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, described the upcoming summit as a bold declaration of intent to drive Nigeria’s industrial growth through people-focused and skills-based development.
According to a statement issued by the ministry on Wednesday, Enoh said the summit represents a major turning point in the country’s push for industrial transformation through one of its most critical levers — human capital development.
“This initiative marks a defining step toward unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s industrial transformation. The summit will serve as a strategic convergence point where government, industry, academia, and international partners will collectively reimagine Nigeria’s industrial skills architecture,” Enoh said.
The summit, he added, is aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises industrialisation and human development as key drivers of national growth. “The President believes that the most valuable infrastructure in any nation is its people. That’s why public investment is being directed toward skills acquisition, vocational training, and workforce modernisation across the country,” he explained.
Also speaking at the inauguration, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industrial Training and Development, Adamson Ayinde, emphasised the importance of the summit in Nigeria’s economic transition. He said the country must strengthen its industrial manpower base if it is to succeed in its efforts to diversify the economy away from oil.
“As we work toward building a diversified and sustainable economy, the industrial sector stands out as a major growth pillar. But we must support this vision with a skilled, adaptable, and innovative workforce,” Ayinde said.
He described the summit as a crucial platform to review the current manpower landscape, identify and bridge skill gaps, encourage stakeholder collaboration, and drive technological innovation across industries.
Outlining the responsibilities of the committee, Ayinde said members are expected to design a robust summit agenda, coordinate with key stakeholders, mobilise funding, manage planning logistics, and ensure the implementation of outcomes after the event.
On his part, the Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Oluwatoyin Ogun, praised the initiative and assured stakeholders of the agency’s full support. He highlighted ITF’s ongoing Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) programme, which aims to retrain Nigerian artisans to meet global competency standards.
“We have the mandate from President Tinubu to improve the skills of Nigerian artisans, and this summit complements that effort. The timing is perfect, and we believe it will serve as a springboard for greater national capacity in industrial manpower,” Ogun said.
He pledged that ITF would continue to play a central role in national human capital development and called on other stakeholders to actively support the summit to ensure its success.
The maiden National Industrial Manpower Development Summit is expected to bring together policymakers, industry leaders, academic institutions, and international partners to chart a new course for Nigeria’s industrial and economic growth through a modernised and well-trained workforce.
