Oluwatobi Adu 
BENIN CITY, Nigeria – The University of Benin completes the first phase of the federal government’s Skill-Up Artisan (ITF-SUPA) programme, equipping 200 participants with vocational and technical skills aimed at boosting employability and economic growth.
In a statement on Sunday, the university’s spokesperson, Benedicta Ehanire, says the closing ceremony is held on Tuesday and attracts the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Edoba Omoregie, members of university management, programme coordinators and beneficiaries.
The eight-week intensive training, delivered free under the Industrial Training Fund initiative, provides hands-on, industry-aligned instruction across multiple sectors. Participants receive training in cybersecurity, tailoring, welding and fabrication, automobile maintenance, carpentry, electrical installation, plumbing, poultry and crop production, and animal husbandry.
Addressing participants, Professor Omoregie commends President Bola Tinubu for establishing the ITF-SUPA programme, describing it as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s human capital.
“Our responsibility as a university goes beyond awarding degrees,” Omoregie says. “We are deliberately building technical skills, entrepreneurial capacity and practical competence that translate into real economic value.”
He adds that the initiative aligns with his five-point agenda for the institution and urges beneficiaries to deploy their new skills productively while preparing for subsequent phases of the programme.
The Vice-Chancellor reaffirms the University of Benin’s commitment to skills-driven and entrepreneurship-focused education.
Meanwhile, the Vocational and Technical Training Programme Coordinator, Andrew Amenaghawon, praises the university leadership for positioning UNIBEN to maximise the ITF-SUPA opportunity, describing the programme as transformative for both participants and host communities.
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Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Mirian Gom 
Hussaini Ibrahim