The Ilorin Area Office of Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has, within three months, trained over 1000 youth on various trades under the National Industrial Skills Development Programme.

The programme which is under the Ministry of Trade and Investment, is designed to assist unemployed youth between the ages of 18 and 35. The beneficiaries were trained in three trade areas of welding and fabrication, tiling and catering.

Head of Training of ITF, Ilorin area office, Mrs Ifeayinwa Osagie said at the closing ceremony that the programme was tailored towards imbuing the participants with the skills to be self-dependent.

"The programme is to give our youth skills, equip them with skills that they will need to be self-employed and self-reliant", she explained.

According to her, the fund synergized with youth empowerment coordinator as well as the Ministry of Youth to ascertain specific skill areas where the state has deficiency in order to train the youth in those areas.

She said in Kwara State, they identified and focused on three trade areas which are welding and fabrication, tiling and catering.

"They have been taught using master craftsmen; people who are already in the business were used to train 1,000 youths", she added, advising the beneficiaries to make optimal use of the knowledge acquired in the course of the training to be self-employed and add value to people's lives.