The Chairman, Hospitality and Tourism Skills Council of Nigeria (HTSSCN), Mr. Nkereuwem Onung has pledged to work with the Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun to improve the industrial tourism skills within the Nigerian tourism ecosystem.  Onung made the promise during the handing over ceremony of the National Sector Skill Council to the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

The handing over formally ended years of institutional rivalry between ITF and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) over the regulation of Nigeria’s skills development system, unveiling a new framework that separates the responsibilities of the agencies.

The reforms, facilitated by the Office of the Vice President through the National Council on Skills, transfer the administration of the Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework, the Secretariat of the National Council on Skills and the Secretariat of World Skills Nigeria to the ITF, while the NBTE will focus exclusively on regulating formal technical and vocational education institutions.

Onung arrived the venue of the event at the Skills House, Maitama, Abuja the headquarters of ITF In a significant milestone for skills development and workforce transformation in Nigeria, the Chairman of the NIHOTOUR–Hospitality and Tourism Skills Council of Nigeria (HTSSCN), Nkereuwem Onung, accompanied by NIHOTOUR Management Staff, attended the official handover of the Sector Skills Councils of Nigeria from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to the Industrial Training Fund (ITF). The landmark ceremony was held at the Skills House, Maitama, Abuja, the headquarters of the Industrial Training Fund.

The event brought together key leaders of Nigeria’s skills development ecosystem, including the Director-General of ITF, Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun; the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje; the Chairman of the Committee of Chairmen of Sector Skills Councils, A. B. Nagode; and other distinguished stakeholders.

The Sector Skills Councils provide industry leadership and ensure that occupational standards remain aligned with labour market demands, fostering a highly skilled workforce that meets the needs of employers and drives national economic growth.

to overlapping mandates, public exchanges and concerns among stakeholders about duplication of responsibilities.

Declaring an end to the dispute, Bugaje said the two institutions had finally reached an agreement that clearly defines their respective roles.

 “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, with Mr. Onung as chairman, was recently inaugurated by the Director General of NIHOTOUR Aare Abisoye Fagade with the mandate to drive competency standards, curriculum enhancement, accreditation systems, labour market intelligence and globally aligned certification frameworks for the tourism and hospitality sector.