The Chairman of the Hospitality and Tourism Skills Council of Nigeria (HTSSCN), Mr. Nkereuwem Onung, has pledged to work closely with the Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, to strengthen skills development in Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry following the official transfer of the National Sector Skills Councils to the ITF.
The commitment was made during the formal handover ceremony held at the ITF Skills House in Maitama, Abuja, marking the end of a long-standing institutional dispute between the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) over the regulation of Nigeria’s skills development system.
The reforms, facilitated by the Office of the Vice President through the National Council on Skills, assign the administration of the Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), the Secretariat of the National Council on Skills and the Secretariat of WorldSkills Nigeria to the ITF, while the NBTE will now concentrate solely on regulating formal technical and vocational education institutions.
Mr. Onung attended the landmark ceremony alongside the management team of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR). The event brought together major stakeholders in Nigeria’s skills ecosystem, including ITF Director-General Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, NBTE Executive Secretary Prof. Idris Bugaje, Chairman of the Committee of Chairmen of Sector Skills Councils A. B. Nagode, and other industry leaders.
Speaking on the significance of the transition, Onung expressed optimism that the new arrangement would enhance industry-driven skills development and improve workforce competence across the tourism and hospitality sector.
He pledged the full cooperation of the Hospitality and Tourism Skills Council with the ITF to ensure the successful implementation of the new framework.
The Sector Skills Councils provide industry leadership by developing occupational standards and ensuring that training programmes remain aligned with labour market demands, thereby producing a workforce equipped with relevant, globally competitive skills.
Declaring an end to the years of disagreement between the two agencies, NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, said a clear division of responsibilities had now been established.
“The conflict between NBTE and ITF over the regulation of the Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework is over. ITF is now in charge of the Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework.
“They are regulated on the overall, while NBTE will limit itself to education and educational institutions,” he said.
The HTSSCN, chaired by Onung, was recently inaugurated by the Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Aare Abisoye Fagade, with the mandate to develop competency standards, strengthen curricula, improve accreditation systems, provide labour market intelligence and promote internationally recognised certification frameworks for Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry.
