Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has announced that 300 artisans trained under its Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) programme in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will sit for international certification examinations beginning from Monday, May 18 to Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
The certification exercise is part of the Federal Government-backed effort to position Nigerian artisans for global opportunities through standardised technical training and internationally recognised qualifications.
According to the ITF, the selected candidates emerged from thousands of artisans trained under the SUPA programme in Abuja. The agency said the artisans were picked based on their performance, technical proficiency, attitude during training, as well as positive reports from monitoring and evaluation teams.
The examinations will be conducted by Alberk QA Technic, an international certification body engaged to assess the artisans under global standards.
In a statement shared by the Fund, ITF said the move is aimed at ensuring that Nigerian artisans can compete globally and meet international industry requirements.
“For the first time, 300 Nigerian artisans among the thousands trained in the FCT will sit for international certification exams under SUPA programme, conducted by the ITF,” the statement read.
The Fund added that the certification will give successful candidates stronger credibility in the labour market and improve their chances of securing opportunities both within and outside Nigeria.
ITF also disclosed that similar certification examinations will be conducted across the 36 states of the federation for other outstanding artisans who participated in the training programme.
The SUPA programme was introduced by the Industrial Training Fund to tackle the shortage of skilled manpower in Nigeria’s artisan sector while improving employability, productivity and technical competence among young Nigerians.
Nigeria Startup News (NSN) reports that the latest development marks one of the strongest attempts by the agency to align Nigeria’s vocational training system with international certification standards.
