…vows to regularize sector

By Ezra Ukanwa, Abuja

In a bid to empower and formalize the informal sector, the Federal Government, FG, has announced plans to register and train about 20 million artisans across various sectors in the country within the next four years.

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Industrial Training Funding, ITF, Dr. Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, made this announcement at a stakeholders meeting with executives of artisans and trade unions, tagged ‘Skill Up Artisans’, SUPA, in Abuja yesterday.

He stated that the initiative is part of the government’s efforts to develop and promote skills acquisition in the country while simultaneously reducing unemployment.

He emphasized the important role artisans play in the economy, as they contribute significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

His words: “Everybody will be involved. So, what we are doing with SUPA, the summary is we want to register all Nigerians artisans, old and young, seniors and juniors, boys and masters, everybody who is called artisan in Nigeria and those who intend to be artisans, because initially we may not get enough people that way.

“You guys (experienced artisans) are the brown and the other ones are the green; those who intend to learn, those guys may not be many at the beginning. However, by the time they see what is happening to the artisans in the program, they’ll start rushing in. Some of you who are already in the field may be trained as supa artisans. So, the first thing is the registration phase. We will register everybody called artisan. Everybody will be registered.

“Initially the registration will be free of charge, no one pays. We use our money for everything. When the artisans come in, it’s like we all come into a drum. Hypothetical drum and this drum has one entrance. Everybody enters the old and the young, the good, the bad, the ugly, bad boys. Everybody enters.

“Inside that drum, then we begin to categorize, when we categorize, we step up training in training centers, both within ITF and private training centers. The President has given us the mandate to upskill five million artisans in the first year, the next year, another 5 million so in four years, we are to upskill 20 million artisans.

“So, the artisans will come in, the ITF cannot handle everybody. We have some private training centers in the country. We’re going to certify them, we’re going to look at them, we’re going to check whatever they have and how we can help them upgrade their standard.

“We certify them. Then we have trainers who are up to the international standard. We also give them their own certification. And we are talking with countries who are also bringing in trainers for us because we want a situation where you get a certification from both ITF and those countries.”

He also disclosed that Nigeria is currently making moves to partner with Germany, United Arab Emirates, UAE, among other countries to share curriculum as part of efforts to train artisans in Nigeria.

Among other things, he said the move is also aimed at adequately training Nigerian artisans to comply with international standards, and to confidently work abroad, which, according to him, would boost the economy of the country.