By Olusegun Olanrewaju
To improve the quality of life for citizens throughout Lagos and upgrade the infrastructural services of the citizenry, the state government organised a training programme designed to raise more skilled workers and artisans in the building sector.
At the training, master artisans and craftsmen in various fields, including masonry, furniture and carpentry, plumbing and pipe fitting, electrical installation, and maintenance, as well as painting and decoration, engaged in a six-week-long programme during which they learnt, through continuous and collaborative means on how to grow their trade in various fields in the sector.
At a ceremony held at the end to appreciate the participants witnessed by stakeholders, including the chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly and a special adviser as participants, some beneficiaries received accolades and various prizes at the end of their training.
They also showcased what they had learnt in the process which is meant to keep them abreast of modern trends in their respective fields.
The venue was the Multi-Purpose Hall of State broadcaster, Radio Lagos/Eko.
Declaring the event open, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the training programme for the craftsmen was the first of its kind in the country.
Represented by the Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, the governor said, “We are all gathered here to celebrate our Master Craftsman Programme graduands, the first of its kind in Nigeria and a fulfilment of the promise to the good people of Lagos State, especially with regards to our commitment to uplift our youths and develop the housing value chain.”
As a government, he added, “We have consistently identified gaps in the various sectors of the economy and equally set plans in motion to address them. Hence our desire to build sustainable and affordable housing projects across the state, leveraging on raw talent from within our space, promoting local content, especially in areas such as masonry; furniture and carpentry; plumbing and pipe fitting; electrical installation and maintenance; painting and decoration,” among others.
“In addition, we are committed to not only growing the capacity of artisans but also networking them to potential markets and making them the priority for our housing projects across the state. In line with this commitment, the graduating class will be added to the database and uploaded on the website of the state government in a bid to give them global recognition.”
According to the Lagos State helmsman, to pursue the commitment of the authorities to youth empowerment and the growth of the informal sector, the government is going to create additional centres towards engaging more artisans in the subsequent phases of the programme.
“The objective is to further bridge the over 15,000 skill gaps in the built sector and ultimately stimulate the provision of sustainable, decent, and affordable housing projects for the state,” he said, adding,
“Today, we are not just graduating artisans; we are also giving them the required tools to push through the skills gathered in the course of the intensive training facilitated by qualified and certified trainers.
The governor, therefore, congratulated the graduands, in his words, for their patience, sacrifice, and perseverance throughout training.
His words, “I implore you to go out and demonstrate the skills that you have learnt; to positively impact your life and the society. Be assured that we will monitor your progress to ensure that this programme is ultimately achieving the desired impact.
He also congratulated the Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai; the Special Adviser on Housing, Mrs Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, and the entire team of the Ministry of Housing, among others.
Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, welcomed the guests, participants, and well-wishers to what he called the special graduation ceremony “that will equally occasion the presentation of work gears/tools to our trained master craftsmen upon the completion of their intensive six weeks training”.
According to him, the housing sector belongs to the “M” which is featured in the THEMES + Agenda of the state government, with a strong focus on bridging the gap in the housing sector in Lagos State.
He said this necessitated the need to upscale the training of the artisans and craftsmen in the sector, as a vital link to the success of the vision of Sanwo-Olu.
“Having conceptualised this initiative based on the contributions and value it will inject into the housing value chain, the curriculums/programmes of the training were designed to cover both theoretical and practical methods, thereby exposing participants to contemporary concepts, techniques, practice, and approaches from start-up to close up within the built sector,” the commissioner stated.
Akinderu-Fatai expressed his strong belief “that our initiative of bridging the skill and capacity gaps in the built sector will significantly enhance the housing sector, create employment and wealth, while leveraging on the youth population, promote local content, stimulate the informal sector, create healthy competition, and consolidate the efforts of the state government in the provision of safe and sustainable housing projects for the public, thereby contributing to the eradication of global housing deficit.”
He also stressed that, in repositioning this gap, “The Master Craftsman training programme of the state, in the first instance, was designed to cover diverse areas within the housing value chain which includes masonry, furniture and carpentry, plumbing and pipe fitting, electrical installation and maintenance, painting and decoration.
“However, the Ministry is expected to scale up the coverage areas and training centres to expand access across the value chain and grant opportunity to the teaming youths/artisans across the state.”
In addition, he said the Ministry has always ensured compliance with global standards and best practices with an established partnership with the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), and other relevant stakeholders, including qualified and certified trainers for the implementation of the initiative.
“Hence, it is pertinent to state clearly that the training syllabus of the Master Craftsman programme was approved by NIOB and LASTVEB, which makes the certification acceptable both locally and globally,” he stressed.
He added, “To all our granduands of today, I want to implore you to make good use of this opportunity and present yourself as a worthy ambassador of the State Government that has passed through these very technical and practical processes.
“Our expectation from you is the application and transfer of set skills gathered in the course of the training at your respective places of work and deliver the best of services to your clients thereby enhancing the efforts of the state government and the expansion of the programme.
“On our part, we will in addition to the presentation of certificates and work gear/tools, network you to the globe and other critical stakeholders by adding your details to the database of the ministry, including our website.”
On a note of conclusion, the commissioner noted, “I want to enjoin you all to express continuous support for the present administration’s THEMES+ Agenda, especially with regards to Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy, and in total compliance to all state government rules, regulation, and obligations, thereby making Lagos the pride of the nation.
At the epoch-making event, the Chairman of the state House of Assembly Committee on Housing, Olusegun Adebisi, flatly said, “It’s been a challenging journey that requires hard work. You (the participants) have been opportune to learn from the skilled men in the field. It has taught you the importance of collaborative efforts and continuous learning in life to improve your skills, so, go out there and prove yourselves.”
The Governor’s Special Adviser on Housing, Odunuga-Bakare, and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Housing, Abdulhafis Toriola, among other guests took the time to appreciate the zeal with which the participants went about their task, before the D-Day.
Before their graduation ceremony, the artisans involved in the big task had been presented with work gears and tools which they extensively deliberate upon.
One of the beneficiaries, who spoke at the end of the programme, summarised the spirit of the whole exercise; “We had experience before this training programme, but right now, we have upgraded our skills to meet up with the modern trend.
“We would put what we have learnt into good practice and thank the Lagos State Government for this,” he said.
