The Industrial Training Fund has commenced the nationwide rollout of the SUPA Project Management Examination, a certification exercise aimed at upgrading project delivery skills among artisans, craftsmen, and organisations.
The examination is a key component of the second phase of ITF’s flagship Skill-Up Artisans programme, which is being conducted in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria.
The ITF director-general, Dr Afiz Ogun, disclosed that about 100,000 trainees are enrolled nationwide, with assessments being conducted in batches of 30,000 due to the limited number of internationally standardised training facilities.
“The programme is designed to train, certify, and license Nigerian artisans with internationally recognised credentials,” Ogun said.
The SUPA framework is structured into three tiers: the foundation stage for basic skills; SUPA I, focused on soft skills and culminating in the ongoing CIPMN examinations; and SUPA II, which covers advanced technical training. The current phase evaluates three soft-skill modules: project management, industrial safety, and patriotism.
Ogun revealed that successful candidates will not only obtain certifications that validate their skills for employment, international placements, or self-employment, but also gain access to ITF’s job placement marketplace. He urged private investors to establish more skills acquisition centres, assuring that the ITF would provide trainees and cover training costs and instructor stipends.
The registrar general of CIPMN, Henry Mbadiwe, described the SUPA exam as a game-changer that validates the skills of artisans, integrates them into formal project management practice, and opens pathways for growth both locally and internationally. He noted that the ITF-CIPMN partnership marked a strategic intervention to set a new standard for project management in Nigeria.
The ITF also plans to work closely with the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture to identify skill demands and design training programmes that prepare Nigerian artisans for targeted international opportunities.
This initiative is expected to generate sustainable job opportunities abroad and strengthen foreign exchange inflows, positioning Nigeria as a competitive source of skilled labour across Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.
