VSF, ITF Earmark N130m for Out-of-school Children in Northeast

Victims Support Fund (VSF) in partnership with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has earmarked N130 million for 1,500 out-school children in the three states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

The Executive Secretary, VSF, Sunday Ochoche, while speaking during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Industrial Training Fund, in Abuja, stated that, the first phase of the programme involves training in critical areas.

Ochoche, noted that the 1,500 out-of-school children in the three states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe would also have their capacities built in vocational skills to increase employability and self reliance.

According to him, “VSF is now working on addressing the root cause of the insurgency in the Northeast and it has beendiscovered that lack of education and high poverty rate were responsible for the crisis in the area.”

The VSF ES, revealed that the entrepreneurship development project will target 5000 community-based women entrepreneurs.

Adding that, “Already, under the VSF Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) project that had benefited from the cash support.”

“The partnership with ITF, will further facilitate the restoration of livelihood for households reached and hasten the community recovery process in the north-east.”

Ochoche, noted that the Industrial Training Fund has similar programmes running currently and that, its technical skills would be of great benefit to VSF in fast-tracking its own programmes.

He further revealed that, the second phase involves the provision of starter packs to beneficiaries.

Also speaking, the DirectorGeneral, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Sir Joseph Ari, said: “The agreement we are about to undertake, is to further deepen the activities of both organisations.

“Particularly as the ES stated, our mandate criss-crosses each other and also have the same template, in terms of strategies, in terms of outcomes and in terms of our plans to be impactful to the Nigerian people and to our economy.

Ari, while urging stakeholders to join force with them to solve the problems of the Northeast, hinted that, improve the livelihood of the people.

According to him, I wish you to you that this MoU is full and ready to be executed.