The programme is strictly for training purpose in the country.
Notice of the licence is contained in a statement issued by the Chief Public Relations Officer of the institute, Mr Paul Mshelizah, on Thursday in Zaria.
The statement quoted Mshelizah as saying that the ILO issued the licence on Dec.1, 2013.
He said the licence was aimed at encouraging worldwide development and standardisation of training programme for port workers in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
He noted that “the licence, which is for a period of five years, remains valid until Dec. 31, 2018.
“NITT secured the licence based on its active participation in ILO train-the-trainer initiative, as well as the suitability of its facilities and competence of resource personnel to run port workers related training programmes.’’
ILO officials have equally accredited NITT training facilities in Zaria, Lagos, Abuja and
Port Harcourt to serve as bases for training of port workers in Nigeria, he noted.
Mshelizah added that “by virtue of this new mandate by ILO, NITT can now legitimately design and run port-worker-related training programmes at its headquarters, Zaria, and at each of its conference learning centres in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
“NITT hopes to target Dock Labour Workers, Crane Operators, Container Terminal Operators, Multimodal Transport Service Providers, Port Operators/Concessionaires and Landlords, and Customs Agents, amongst other stakeholders in the maritime sector.’’
He pointed out that before now, the International Training Centre of the ILO was directly responsible for training trainers to facilitate the delivery of training programmes to port workers in the country.
With this development, it said, NITT had become the first institution in the country to be granted licence to offer PDP- related programmes for port workers.
In his reaction to the licence, the Director-General of the institute, Dr Aminu Musa-Yusuf, said the gesture was a positive development not only to the institute but to the nation as a whole.
He said the institute had the capacity to execute the programme successfully and satisfactorily.
Musa-Yusuf thanked the ILO for granting the institute the licence and assured that it would leave up to the challenges ahead.
He then urged port workers in the country to seize the opportunity to further their studies to improve their knowledge and skills. (NAN)
