of unemployment in Nigeria, the Cement
Technology Institute of Nigeria, CTIN, is set to
fund the training of Nigerian youths in the
building sector with N15bn.
This was disclosed on Monday by the
Chairman, Board of Trustees of CTIN, Alhaji
Aliko Dangote at the signing of Memorandum
of Understanding, MoU, between CTIN and
Industrial Trust Fund, ITF, on the training of
artisans and craftsmen in the construction
industry.
Both CTIN and ITF entered into an agreement
to jointly see to the training of more than 70
million Nigerians along building construction
business value chain.
Alhaji Dangote, who said the N15bn is an
initiative fund for the programme which will
take off next week, stated that the fund
would be increased as the training proceeds.
He said the fund is purely for the training of
artisans and would not be diverted to any
other business.
He explained that the reasons for the
programme are to create jobs for the youths
by empowering them, build capacity in the
building industry as well as reduce the risk of
building collapse in the country, which has
been caused by the act of quack building
constructions.
"This is a unique collaboration expected to
herald in a new philosophy of teaching and
impacting knowledge to our teeming artisans
and craftsmen across the country with the
sole aim of enhancing vocational and
entrepreneurial skills.
"In close relation with the objectives of CTIN
are those of the Industrial Training Fund, ITF.
ITF has among its mandate to provide,
promote and encourage acquisition of skills in
industry and commerce with a view to
generating a pool of indigenous trained
manpower sufficient to meet the needs of
private and public sectors of the economy; as
well as evaluation and certification of
vocational skills acquired by apprentices,
craftsmen and technicians. The present effort
to enhance the skills of our artisans and
craftsmen is therefore a symbiotic
relationship between two organisations
saddled with the responsibility of impacting
skills and knowledge to our trades men and
women."
He explained that the collaboration is aimed
at organising and conducting training
programmes for artisans and craftsmen in the
building industry; determining specific needs
and opportunity for capacity building and
process improvement for artisans and
craftsmen that use cement to execute their
work; promoting professionalism, proficiency
and actualisation of the training to-work
initiative and entrepreneurship so as to
discourage the importation of foreign artisans
and craftsmen from neighbouring countries;
as well as complementing the success of
transformation agenda of the present
administration in the area of youth
empowerment and employment generation.
Alhaji Dangote said the cost of building a
house in Nigeria is 40 per cent higher than in
Ghana due to lack of local competent
artisans. He added that there is a shortage of
18 million housing in Nigeria.
"We are all aware that it has become a norm
rather than practice to seek for competent
artisans and craftsmen from the
neighbouring countries due mainly to
inadequate vocational training given to our
local tradesmen and women," he said.
He noted that with the evolution cement
industry in Nigeria, the sector had recorded
over 39 million metric tonnes installed with
more plants under construction, rehabilitation
and expansion.
"It has therefore become imperative not only
to expand the utilisation and consumption of
cement but also to guarantee its safe and
efficient usage. This training programme,
which is targeted to cover the entire country
will among others, broadens the scope of the
use of cement in various construction works.
The training workshop has been designed to
impact the necessary skills to 350 artisans
and craftsmen in each state and will cover the
following trade areas: Carpentry Works, Tile
Laying Works, Plaster of Paris (POP) Works,
Electrical Works, Masonry Works, Plumbing
Works, as well as Block Making/Inter-Locking
Tiles Works.
"It is also important to announce that the first
phase of the training programme will cover a
state each from the six geo-political zones as
well as three peculiar states of Lagos, Kano
and Port-Harcourt."
The Director-General of ITF, Dr. Juliet Chukkas
Onaeko, said the collaboration between CTIN
and ITF on such training was a signal of
something great and revolutionary geared
towards reducing unemployment in Nigeria.
She added that the synergy would go a long
way in reducing the incessant building
collapse as the artisans' competence would
be continuously subjected to measure before
being allowed to do the proper job in the
field.
According to her, the maiden edition of the
programme would start in nine states within
the country with about 3,000 trainees.
She therefore appealed to all state
governments to key in to the programme by
making their citizens participate in the
training.
Also speaking as a member of CTIN, the
Managing Director, WAPCO Operatios, Mrs.
Adepeju Adebajo, said Lafarge Africa has, on
its own, embarked on vocational training on
block making for the youths. It has also taken
upon itself to enhance the capacity of
professionals and artisan groups with a view
to improving construction practice in Nigeria.
According to her, block making as a vocation
in Nigeria is largely unregulated, as existing
standards are largely unenforced, while the
entry barrier into the trade is almost
nonexistence, which places blockmakers at
liberty to produce blocks in line with
experience, which sometimes is at variance
with standards.
She stated, "To show its commitment,
Lafarge has developed a roadmap on how to
bridge the knowledge and skill gap in
construction practice, hence, the introduction
of "Artisan Capacity Enhancement Scheme,
ACES.
"In the course of implementing ACES, Lafarge
has established organized series of
programmes including seminars and
conferences, 'train the trainer' programmes,
and on site education and engagements.
"Overall, we have reached out to over 5,000
block-makers in over 26 locations in Nigeria.
Our Supaset brand is designed to meet the
specific needs of block-makers as was
designed with their needs in mind, after
exhaustive consultations and hence very
popular, becoming the brand of choice for
them.
"As CTIN is collaborating with ITF on the same
course, I believe the training will yield
successful result. We also promise on our own
to continue engaging and aducating artisans
and block-makers while partnering with the
Federal Government and other agencies to
increase the skills and competencies of
artisans in the built sector."
Posted By David Aniemeka
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