…ITF takes over NSQF as NBTE focuses on formal TVET institutions
Chairman of the Hospitality and Tourism Sector Skills Council of Nigeria (HTSSCN), Mr. Nkereuwem Onung, has pledged to collaborate closely with the Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Dr. Afiz Ogun, to strengthen industrial tourism skills and advance workforce development across Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality sector.
Onung made the commitment during the official handover of the National Sector Skills Councils to the Industrial Training Fund at Skills House, Maitama, Abuja, the headquarters of the ITF.
The ceremony marked a landmark moment in Nigeria’s skills development landscape, as the Federal Government formally transferred the administration of the National Sector Skills Councils to the ITF, bringing an end to years of institutional disagreements over the regulation of the nation’s skills development framework.
The reforms, coordinated through the Office of the Vice President under the National Council on Skills, established a clear division of responsibilities between the two key institutions.
Under the new arrangement, the ITF will oversee the Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), serve as the Secretariat of the National Council on Skills, and coordinate the Secretariat of WorldSkills Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) will focus exclusively on regulating formal Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
Speaking at the event, Onung described the development as a significant step toward strengthening industry-driven skills development and assured the ITF leadership of the Hospitality and Tourism Sector Skills Council’s commitment to building globally competitive competencies within the sector.
The event attracted major stakeholders in 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 industry leaders.
Onung attended the ceremony alongside members of the management team of NIHOTOUR.
Declaring the long-standing dispute resolved, Prof. Bugaje said the two institutions had reached a clear understanding on their respective mandates.
“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 stated.
The Hospitality and Tourism Sector Skills Council of Nigeria (HTSSCN) was recently inaugurated by the Director-General of NIHOTOUR, Aare Fagade, with the mandate to drive competency standards, strengthen curriculum development, promote accreditation systems, generate labour market intelligence, and facilitate globally aligned certification frameworks for Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry.
Sector Skills Councils play a strategic role in providing industry leadership, developing occupational standards, and ensuring workforce competencies remain aligned with labour market needs, thereby supporting national productivity, economic growth, and global competitiveness.