Don, others advocate technical education for artisans to enhance economic advancement

Prof Mike Adebamowo of the University of Lagos, Akoka, on Thursday said that the country needed to revive its technical education to equip artisans for the nation’s technological and economic advancement.

Adebamowo, the Dean of the Department of Environmental Science, Unilag, spoke at a workshop organised by the Construction Industry Development Research Group (CIDG) under the Department.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that participants from no fewer than 30 artisan groups attended the workshop with the title: “Informal and Sustainable Competitiveness of Artisans in Nigeria’s Construction Industry’’.

According to the don, there is the need to revive quality training for local artisans to be conducted by our technical colleges.

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He said that this had become imperative because foreign artisans had hijacked jobs meant for indigenous artisans due to their alleged inefficiencies.

“Artisans are very crucial to the development of any economy, particularly, the construction industry.

“No matter how good design or a project must have been well conceived, if we do not have the required skills to interpret such, it cannot be realised,’’ he said.

The don said that the workshop was timely, adding that it would afford the country the opportunity to meet up with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“I have the conviction that jobs are not scarce but faithful, diligent, and disciplined people are.

“These skilled workers require training upon training, for them to be able to maximise their potential.

“These will translate, essentially, into the development of the nation and its economy.

“Once they get it right; we will not be looking for competent workers or artisans from outside this country,” he said.

Adebamowo also said that Nigeria has an excellent educational system designed to encourage skills’ acquisition in technical schools.

He said that the model was not being followed to produce artisans to bridge the skill gap.

“What is happening to our technical schools where our artisans are expected to have been trained?

“In time past, we used to have the City and Guild Examinations being conducted for artisans.

“We look down on those that are doing artisan work, but without them; the nation cannot develop,” he said.

Also, Mrs Beauty John, the Head Researcher of CIDG, condemned the rate at which foreign artisans were taking over the jobs of local artisans in the construction industry.

She said that the group was working on boosting the skills of artisans.

She said that would integrate them into a more inclusive and competitive work environment in the nations’ construction industry.

Similarly, the Head of Department of Environmental Science, Mr Olumide Adenuga, said that the contributions of artisans were important to forestalling incidences of building collapses in the nation.

“Artisans’ contributions are so significant, we hear of a collapsed building; what could have been responsible, the majority of the artisans do not have skills.

“But in the area of nation-building, they are so important in the delivery of any project,’’

Adenuga said that Nigerians preferred to recruit artisans from the neighbouring countries to work for them instead of employing their fellow Nigerians.

He wondered where the country was heading to with this attitude.

“We have lost the focus; not that the jobs are not there,” he said.

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Julius Fayemi, a co-researcher with the group, re-emphasised the importance of technical training for artisans for the success of the construction sector.

“Over the years, we had training centres and technical schools that were supposed to be the bedrock for the artisans.

“The technical schools have been turned into schools of science and technology because of low patronage and dilapidated structures,” he said.

Mrs Chichi Ezeoffia from Kaiser Foundation for Social Development said that the foundation was working to meet the United Nations SDGs for the youth.

“The foremost is identifying the problems.

“If you look at the United Nations SDGs; eradicating youth unemployment is goal eight.

“It is to promote sustained inclusiveness and sustainable economic growth and full productive employment.

“Its aim is to reduce or eliminate youth unemployment.

“The construction sector is a very robust sector that creates opportunities for the youth to be engaged productively, there is so much money in the construction industry,” she said.

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