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Tag: artisans

  • Creating jobs for artisans, tradesmen in construction

    Creating jobs for artisans, tradesmen in construction

    The growth in infrastructure development in the Middle East has resulted in a construction boom. The boom has catalysed in increased demand for artisans. Hiring artisans with the right skills and experience has been a challenge. There is a training programme to recruit Nigerians to work in the region and other parts of the world, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Construction sector is one of the most important sectors in the economy. It generates about 10 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and positively influences the growth of employment in other related economic activities.

    However, contractors need good and skilled artisans to effectvely deliver projects of high quality. But there is a level of professionalism required for construction work as an artisan, or tradesman. This covers competence in building plans and specifications, methods of construction and materials management. But only a few local artisans possess this. This has had negative impact on the industry.

    To address this challenge, the Universal Learn Direct Academia Limited (ULDA), a consortium of professionals that facilitate skills training in vocations, such as carpentry; plumbing; electrical installation; brickwork; plastering; tiling and site engineering, among others, is training secondary school leavers, polytechnic and university graduates, as well as unemployed youths for the building and construction industry.

    Its  President, Gasper Olawumi, expressed dismay over the skills gap among polytechnics and university graduates, adding that with their partnership with those in the industry, they can engage the trainees, who would in turn help in strengthening  capacities across the sector.

    He noted that lack of skills among the lower cadres of workers is chiefly responsible for problems dogging the construction industry. Such problems, he noted, include structurally unsound buildings, which end up collapsing.

    Gasper, who is a partner and   former Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), said the institute is making the industry more attractive to school-leavers and graduates by equipping them to work in the construction industry, while incentives for employers will also help encourage more youths into apprenticeships.

    The organisation is now focusing on the Middle East with the much-anticipated pick-up in construction activity in Dubai. The company is opening an international office in Dubai to enable it export trained artisans, who can work abroad. The organisation equips youths with skills in masonry, carpentry, formwork, plumbing, tiling, scaffolding and plastering within a year.

    “The young graduates will be trained on all aspects of carpentry, block-laying, plumbing and electrical on site. We are taking off with hands-on skills. That is why engineering is a key programme to us and we are ready to ensure that Nigerian graduates hone their skills early enough so that job opportunity will be available for them,”Gasper said, adding that training leads to quality workmanship, which means fewer lives are likely to be lost as a result of building collapse.

    Gasper, a former Lagos Polytechnic rector, said that is why training is important because it imparts skills and positive behaviour. “For instance, when artisans are conversant with their roles on the construction site, they need minimal supervision, but will do a substantial amount of work.

    “So, since training equips artisans with the requisite work ethics, the contractor will not have to worry about workers reporting to work late, materials disappearing from the site, or workers skipping work after being paid,” he said.

    The project visioner and co-ordinator, Mr.  Gbola Oba said the construction industry is replenishing the housing stock, building new infrastructure and helping to restore the economy, but there are challenges whether it is to attract and retain a forward-looking workforce output.

    Oba stressed the need for a dynamic industry that is alive to global market opportunities, international relations and the exporting of skills.

    He said the company sees prospects in training artisans under global standard best practices and exporting them across the world.

    According to him, such artisans must be trained to a level where they can work in places, such as Dubai with stringent key performance indicators and design-savvy occupiers, where  issues of efficiency and performance are  put into acute focus.

    In terms of addressing poor public perceptions of construction workers, Oba stressed that it is high time  things were taken to the next stage by inculcating performance ethos that will promote the industry’s positive image.

    To stand any chance of plugging the existing skills gaps, diversifying the workforce and securing a talent pipeline for the future, he said more young people need to be persuaded to pursue careers in construction industry.

     

    With opening abroad, he said his organisation is broadening the appeal of construction to those who may never have considered it as a career.

    A partner, Alhaji Lukman Guru said the group is still looking for young Nigerians which they will train to work at foreign construction sites.

  • Creating jobs for artisans, tradesmen in construction

    The growth in infrastructure development in the Middle East has resulted in a construction boom. The boom has catalysed in increased demand for artisans. Hiring artisans with the right skills and experience has been a challenge. There is a training programme to recruit Nigerians to work in the region and other parts of the world, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Construction sector is one of the most important sectors in the economy. It generates about 10 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and positively influences the growth of employment in other related economic activities.

    However, contractors need good and skilled artisans to effectvely deliver projects of high quality. But there is a level of professionalism required for construction work as an artisan, or tradesman. This covers competence in building plans and specifications, methods of construction and materials management. But only a few local artisans possess this. This has had negative impact on the industry.

    To address this challenge, the Universal Learn Direct Academia Limited (ULDA), a consortium of professionals that facilitate skills training in vocations, such as carpentry; plumbing; electrical installation; brickwork; plastering; tiling and site engineering, among others, is training secondary school leavers, polytechnic and university graduates, as well as unemployed youths for the building and construction industry.

    Its  President, Gasper Olawumi, expressed dismay over the skills gap among polytechnics and university graduates, adding that with their partnership with those in the industry, they can engage the trainees, who would in turn help in strengthening  capacities across the sector.

    He noted that lack of skills among the lower cadres of workers is chiefly responsible for problems dogging the construction industry. Such problems, he noted, include structurally unsound buildings, which end up collapsing.

    Gasper, who is a partner and   former Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), said the institute is making the industry more attractive to school-leavers and graduates by equipping them to work in the construction industry, while incentives for employers will also help encourage more youths into apprenticeships.

    The organisation is now focusing on the Middle East with the much-anticipated pick-up in construction activity in Dubai. The company is opening an international office in Dubai to enable it export trained artisans, who can work abroad. The organisation equips youths with skills in masonry, carpentry, formwork, plumbing, tiling, scaffolding and plastering within a year.

    “The young graduates will be trained on all aspects of carpentry, block-laying, plumbing and electrical on site. We are taking off with hands-on skills. That is why engineering is a key programme to us and we are ready to ensure that Nigerian graduates hone their skills early enough so that job opportunity will be available for them,”Gasper said, adding that training leads to quality workmanship, which means fewer lives are likely to be lost as a result of building collapse.

    Gasper, a former Lagos Polytechnic rector, said that is why training is important because it imparts skills and positive behaviour. “For instance, when artisans are conversant with their roles on the construction site, they need minimal supervision, but will do a substantial amount of work.

    “So, since training equips artisans with the requisite work ethics, the contractor will not have to worry about workers reporting to work late, materials disappearing from the site, or workers skipping work after being paid,” he said.

    The project visioner and co-ordinator, Mr.  Gbola Oba said the construction industry is replenishing the housing stock, building new infrastructure and helping to restore the economy, but there are challenges whether it is to attract and retain a forward-looking workforce output.

    Oba stressed the need for a dynamic industry that is alive to global market opportunities, international relations and the exporting of skills.

    He said the company sees prospects in training artisans under global standard best practices and exporting them across the world.

    According to him, such artisans must be trained to a level where they can work in places, such as Dubai with stringent key performance indicators and design-savvy occupiers, where  issues of efficiency and performance are  put into acute focus.

    In terms of addressing poor public perceptions of construction workers, Oba stressed that it is high time  things were taken to the next stage by inculcating performance ethos that will promote the industry’s positive image.

    To stand any chance of plugging the existing skills gaps, diversifying the workforce and securing a talent pipeline for the future, he said more young people need to be persuaded to pursue careers in construction industry.

  • Group trains artisans in plumbing

    The Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) Amuwo Odofin Cell, last week, held a one-day seminar to educate artisans on the role of qualitative plumbing works in structural integrity.

    It was themed: “Preventing building collapse through qualitative and sustainable plumbing”.

    In his paper, its President, Mr. Akinola George, noted that poor plumbing work can cause a building to collapse, describing plumbing as “an engineering work in a branch of mechanical engineering.’.

    He advised plumbers to be abreast of new technology and modern ways of doing plumbing work, urging them to go for more training to update their skills and knowledge regularly. “If you are doing plumbing the way it was done several years ago, then you have to learn new skills, otherwise, you will be outdated because computer has taken over,” George said.

    Also, Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Mechanical Engineers, Lagos State chapter, Mr. Segun Fadeyi, advised plumbers to always put a man-hole in strategic positions while working, and identify same so that when repairs will be carried out there will be no need to break the wall.

    The Lagos State Association of Professional Plumbers of Nigeria Chairman, Mr. Adesina Ogunkoya, praised the organisers for the knowledge impartation,adding that his members use quality materials and do not cut-corners while executing their jobs.

    Adesina revealed that the association has a task force team, which goes around to check the activities of plumbers, especially quacks,  in a bid to bring sanity to the profession. He further said his association relate with the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and any products that are not certified by SON are not used by its members.

    Similarly, the association deputy chairman, Mr. Lanre Adeleke, said the seminar will yield positive results and that government should find a way of curbing the activities of foreign artisans in the country, advising the stoppage of patronage of such artisans. He called on the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to help check the influx of foreign artisans into the country.

    Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area Chairman, Mr. Valentine Buraimo, admonished all professional bodies and the organiser of the seminar to continue sensitising government on the menace of collapse building in our society. “We will always be prepared to prosecute all unscrupulous elements that are involved in these activities,” he assured.

  • Empowering artisans to spur economic growth

    The Lagos State government is retraining artisans to enable employers find tradesmen with advanced skills. With this, certified artisans are now listed in a compendium as well as online market place to sell their services. The state believes that given a level playing field, artisans and tradesmen can help grow the economy and build a better future. DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    More than half of jobs and business opportunities in Lagos are said to be for skilled artisans. However, very few of the artisans have the required skills to fill those job vacancies.

    To address the imbalance,  the Lagos State government has commenced the training and re-training of 1500 artisans every year.

    The state government is empowering the artisans under a three- month training programme aimed at boosting their capacity to contribute to economic growth and development.

    One of the beneficiaries of the traing programme, Mr. Akindele Akinlola, a carpenter and furniture designer, told The Nation that  the programme was critical if artisans must step up their  game in their chosen vocation. Akinola spoke on the sideline  of  the 8th Tradesmen and Artisans Week and Graduation Ceremony for 1,500 re-trained artisans and traders organised by the state’s Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, at Ikeja.

    He said apart from helping artisans scale up, it was also  important that artisans are listed  on the virtual market place, which he described as “The future of the industry.”

    Alhaji Olowoopejo Sule, a member of Sand Dealers Association, Apapa, expressed optimism that the the retraining will open doors of opportinities for his career as a  sand dealer, adding that the government is supporting tradesmen to get all the training  needed to do their job and make a living.

    He said on the strength of the training  he can now evacuate sand while also using his hands to  tap his  phone  keyboard to upload pictures and information on the virtual market that lists more than 18,000 artisans in Lagos.

    Another benefiary of the training, Obamuyi Durojaiye,  from Okota, said vocational training in Lagos has taken a different shape. He said he worked his way up by earning certificates and later becoming computer literate to operate on the virtual market, courtesy of the Lagos State government.

    Durojaiye said based on the training, he  now sees his future as an artisan brighter than ever. He said his career is one that  doesn’t require a degree but requires specialised training.

    Beyomd the training, the Lagos State government launched a compendium of 20,000 registered tradesmen and artisans with unique identification numbers to improve the sector’s contribution to the state’s  socio-economic development.

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said the compendium would help to differentiate the authentic artisans from those operating illegally in the state.

    The governor said that henceforth, the state government will officially patronise the services of registered tradesmen and artisans in the areas needed.

    He said the state government had also opened an online portal designed to facilitate interaction amongst artisans, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), customers/end-users and other relevant stakeholders.

    Ambode said tthe primary goal of the portal was to make it easy and convenient for people in need of high quality services to meet reliable, trusted and verified service providers.”It is also aimed at enhancing the productivity, competitiveness, creativity and vitality of the sector,” he said.

    Ambode said the theme: “Technology and Innovation: A Catalyst for the Development of the Artisans and Tradesmen” was apt, as it would sensitise the artisans to the reality of global trends.

    “In this modern time, successful businesses are driven by technology and innovative ideas. It will be difficult for you to survive and stay ahead of your competitors if you continue to do things the old way and fail to key into the current reality.

    “There is no aspect of your trade or vocation that you cannot apply technology to improve on quality, efficiency and productivity,” the governor said.

    He said that his administration will  continue to implement policies and incentives aimed at improving the productive capacity of artisans and tradesmen. According to him, the growth and profitability of the sector remained a top priority.

    Ambode advised the retrained artisans to leverage on the endless opportunities the state had offered them.”Our state is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and it presents great opportunities that are waiting to be tapped and challenges which you are the solution provider.

    “Your training has been designed to address the skills mismatch and provide the right mix of skills needed to service the industrial needs of the state.

    “This administration has a clear focus on all our initiatives and beliefs  in the potential and innovative capacity of Lagos artisans,” he said.

    Ambode assured that his administration would continue to provide and maintain the required infrastructure and conducive environment for businesses to thrive.

    He recalled various initiatives designed to scale up the informal sector such as the N25billion Employment Trust Fund (ETF), among others, and assured traders and artisans in the state that government would continue to implement strategies and programmes to promote their businesses and create conducive environment for their operations.

    While expressing excitement over the fact that it was the tailors from the state that produced the academic gowns used for the graduation, the governor said moving forward, the state government will officially engage traders and artisans on jobs that would improve their livelihood.

    Speaking on specific requests made  by LACOSTA, the governor said: “As a start, we instruct the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment to see the capabilities and the opportunities that we can spread out from state jobs and contracts and give to our artisans.

    “I am very happy to note that we have graduates among you and also graduates who are also your children. So, we hereby create an immediate opportunity through your associations to be able to recruit into key areas in the public service where we can need your services. These are not political promises, we keep our promises and we will fulfil all our promises.”

    While congratulating the artisans and traders for successfully undergoing the training, the governor urged them to put all they have learnt to effective practice and leverage on the endless opportunities in  the state’s strategic position  as one of the fastest growing economies in the world to be solution providers.

    He assured that the state government would continue to provide and maintain the required infrastructure and conducive environment for businesses to thrive.

    Earlier, in his opening remarks, Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, said since the last edition of the event, Ambode, as requested by LACOSTA, had already approved N12million annual subvention to the association and increased the number of beneficiaries in 2017 to 1500 from the 500 that were trained last year.

    Durosinmi-Etti had earlier said the graduands underwent an eight-week intensive training programme in their areas of trade.

    He said the awards presented to them were expected to serve as morale booster and increase the drive in others to create a competitive business environment.

  • Linking artisans to global market place

    Linking artisans to global market place

    Lagos State government has created an online marketplace to allow artisans sell their services to the world. The state believes that given a level playing field, artisans and tradesmen can help grow the economy and build a better future. An awareness workshop was held in Lagos to enlighten them on how to explore the virtual marketplace.  DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    From Nigerians across all social strata, everyone has a tale to tell about artisans or tradesmen. From disappearing with money meant for projects, to purchasing substandard materials and doing shoddy jobs, it has been tales of woes and disappointments.

    There are bad artisans out there. Fashion designers, mechanics,   shoe repairers,  printers  and phone technicians who  start job and abandon it midway after  collecting   mobilisation fees.

    On the whole, dealing  with  local artisans or tradesmen, has been unpleasant experience. But this is going to end as the Lagos Government begins registration of artisans and tradesmen on an online platform.

    Speaking in Lagos during an awareness forum on  the virtual market place for artisans and tradesmen, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), Mrs. Omolara Erogbogbo, said  what happened to taxis with the advent of Uber is going to  happen to artisans and tradesmen  with the advent of the virtual market place.

    According to her, artisans and repairmen, who provide unsatisfactory services to their clients, will be delisted from the platform.

    Mrs. Erogbogbo explained that  the platform will boast only qualified and verified workers, who will be trained by the board.

    From plumbers to builders, Commissioner, Wealth Creation and Employment, Babatunde  Durosinmi-Etti,   said Lagos is making efforts to  bridge the talent gaps across a range of professions to  boost  attempts to re-energise the economy.

    He said the growth in the economy has seen demand for skilled artisans and tradesmen rise. This presents a great opportunity for experienced ones to cash in on their skills.

    Without them, he said, any chance of riding on the coat-tails of an infrastructure-led economic revival, appears to be wishful thinking.

    The commissioner said artisans and tradesmen need to become digitally savvy and meet the requirements of modern businesses  if Lagos is to emerge as a digital front-runner.

    Dorosinmi-Etti said selling services online through  the digital market, offers artisans and tradesmen huge opportunities for growth.

    He said the state was determined to support artisans by providing access to exploit the dramatic growth in digital commerce.

    The virtual market place, according to him, is one of the responsibilities of the government to demonstrate just what can be done.

    Speaking on the virtual market place project, the commissioner    said it  has been on the front burner of  the government’s  attention and aims to provide  artisans and tradesmen access and exposure to the international market.

    He said the tradesmen and artisans will undergo bio-metrics data capture and be issued registration numbers.

    According to him, tradesmen registered on the platform can use their registration numbers to attract loans from the Employment Trust Fund through the Ibile Microfinance bank.

    Artisans, through the virtual platform, he said, can manage their business practice and seek opportunities to  expand, adding that they  can attract increased patronage  if their services continue to meet industry standards.

    According to him, after the service has been rendered, the client can go back and rate the service provider based on their experience. These ratings will either make or break them and serve as means to sift the chaff from the wheat.

    Tradesmen, after completing assignments will have their   recommendations and references posted as someone that can  be trusted .

    The platform, he explained, will be run with the support of trade associations.

    Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Nigeria, Hakeem Adeniji-Adele,   noted that  as technology increases, the importance of digital connectivity is going to increase.

    To bridge the growing internet connectivity gap, he said his organisation is exploring unused broadcast frequencies to generate internet connectivity, which will be crucial for the rural people.

    In addition to a place to sell their services, Microsoft is providing all the support local artisans need to grow their business that catch a customer’s attention.

    Speaking at the launch, President, Lagos State Council of Artisans and Tradesmen, Alhaji  Nurudeen Buhari, welcomed the drive to boost connectivity.

    According to him, the industry is witnessing a dramatic change with the move by the state to enlist artisans and tradesmen in  the  quest to  assume  its potential as a  leader in the digital economy.

    He reiterated the determination of his council to work together with government to ensure that every business has the opportunity and resources to reach its potential and connectivity, and undoubtedly become a crucial element.

    He gave kudos to Governor Akinwumi Ambode’s administration for always evolving novel ideas to bring succour to the teeming masses of the state.

    According to Lagos State House Painters Association President,  Alhaji Sikiru Odetunde, the whole idea is to scale up extremely fast. He said his organisation was prepared to explore the opportunity to do business online.

  • MIXED GRILL of kudos, knocks …as traders, artisans relive post-recession experience

    MIXED GRILL of kudos, knocks …as traders, artisans relive post-recession experience

    THE apathy that characterised the celebration of the nation’s independence celebration last year as a result of the economic situation and its concomitant effects on social life appear to have given way for a more vivacious celebration tomorrow. At this time last year, it was lamentation galore as exchange rate rose astronomically, causing many business concerns in the formal and informal sectors to prune down their staff or even close businesses completely. Prices of goods and services skyrocketed making it difficult for many breadwinners to put food on the table for their families. Consequently, feelings of hopelessness and despair enveloped the land, resulting in the heightening of anti-social activities.

    But after some time, the darkness and frustration that enveloped the land began to ebb as the naira gradually appreciated in value. The recession which pundits predicted would not abate until about a decade reduced significantly in less than a year. The dollar, which had exchanged for close to N500, fell to about N360. With this, the prices of goods and services began to come down. Electricity supply also witnessed significant improvement in many parts of the country, rising to all-time height of about 7,000 megawatts.

    Mrs. Adedun Toriola, a hair-dresser based in Egbeda area of Lagos, says she has had every cause to smile in the last one or two months because of improved power supply, which she says has helped her business to a certain extent.

    She said: “In the last one or two months, power supply has improved at least relatively. We now have light for hours in a day, which was not the case before. So, I use less of generator these days. Before now, I used to buy fuel every day. But now, I have discovered that the quantity of fuel I was using for a day could last for four or five days. Because of that, my business is stabilising and my customer base is rising by the day. I just pray that power continues to improve.

    Toriola implored the government to work on other areas of the economy like prices of foodstuffs.

    “We heard that we are already out of recession, but it is like some people are not helping the government. If the value of the naira has improved like we have seen in recent times, market women should reciprocate by bringing down the prices of foodstuffs such as beans, yam, and soup condiments. The price of rice has reduced, so also is that of garri. But they can still go down further,” she added.

    Her colleague on Aborisade Street, Lawanson, Lagos, Mrs. Bola Adewusi, also told The Nation that improvement supply of electricity had rubbed off positively on her business.

    She said: “I think ours is one of the areas in Lagos that are lucky to have good power supply. I no longer need to fuel my generators and my customers are now relaxed, knowing that they won’t have to pay extra fee unlike the time I depended entirely on generator to power the dryer and other machines. However, I still want to plead with our government to help us. The cost of weave-ons and relaxers is expensive. Now more people are going on natural hair and it is not good for our business.”

    Another respondent, a caterer based in the same area, Mrs. Olutoyin Aduloju, echoed the same line, saying that the relative improvement in the supply of electricity has had a positive effect on her catering business.

    “Before now,” she said, “I was spending an average of N4,000 daily to fuel my big generator. If you factor this to the cost of other inputs like flour, icing sugar, baking powder, yeast, egg, butter and others, you can see that the cost is much. And if we pass it to the customers, it will be unbearable. So, we bear a lot for the customers.

    “But now that power supply is improving, it is a lot of relief, the amount of money I used to spend to fuel my generator daily is what I spend weekly now. And if things improve, we will be happy.”

    A beer parlour operator in Isolo area of Lagos State, Tony Eluoha, said: As you can see, the whole place is filled. Recession does not seem to dampen the capacity of Nigerians to have a good time with the little they have. I know many have reduced the number of bottles of beer that they consume, but they still patronise us as you can see.

    “I am really happy with the improved power situation. It has generally reduced the cost of running this place. A large chunk of the money we spend to keep this place lively is on power. I know how much I spend daily on power. So, with the improved electricity generation, we have been able to reduce our expenditure. I pray this continues. Go round this area, many of these small businesses are experiencing some positives.”

    A mobile tailor, Abubakar Sanni, said he had witnessed a lot of improvement in his business in the last one year. According to him: “This year, after work, I usually have a reasonable amount of money with me. The cattle that I am rearing in the village are doing well. Even we humans are getting food and meat better than we did last year,” he said.

     

    Calls for price control in Ekiti

    Respondents in Ekiti State also expressed delight with the improvement in power supply brought about by the increase in the megawatts of electricity generated from the national grid. Ado-Ekiti and other towns and villages now enjoy steady electricity and this has rubbed off positively on businesses, economic and social activities.

    A welder in Ado-Ekiti, Mr. Femi Ogidan, said: “We thank God for the improved supply of power in the past few months. For about one and a half years or close to two years before now, power outages rendered me idle in my shop. I would open for business hoping to receive customers, but lack of electricity would render me idle and this made it difficult for me to feed my family and perform other responsibilities. But we want to thank God for the improved power supply that we enjoy now. My business has picked up and I am now making money because I am getting more jobs now.”

     

    Calls for price control in Ekiti

    A shop owner in Ikere-Ekiti, Miss Tolulope Adewumi, recalled that the recession period was very tough for her business. But she said that things were gradually picking up with improved power supply.

    She said: “You know business activities revolve around stable electricity and poor power supply really affected us, coupled with the irregular payment of workers’ salaries.

    “I sell beverages and other things that are kept in the refrigerator. If power is not regular, that is bad business. But we are getting over it and business is now improving.

    “I was happy when I heard in the news that Nigeria was getting out of recession. I believe that very soon, it will make prices of goods and services come to come down. I am hopeful that things will still get better than this.”

    A restaurant operator in Ado-Ekiti, Mrs. Dupe Omoniyi, while expressing joy on Nigeria’s exit from recession, tasked government to enforce strict price control in the markets, describing the Ekiti State capital as “one of the most expensive cities to live in.”

    Omoniyi said: “We have heard that Nigeria is out of recession, but we want the Federal Government to collaborate with the Ekiti State Government to set up a price control board.

    “I want them to go to our markets and bring down prices of commodities that have gone up so that they will reflect the trend of the times. Many of these market women here are merciless but they need government’s iron hand because Ado (Ado-Ekiti) is one of the most expensive places to live in,” she said.

    A barber, Ade Ologunja, was full of prayer for the Buhari-led administration. “May God bless President Muhammadu Buhari. The man is trying. We pray that God will give him wisdom to bring about the total and better change we are praying for.”

    On her part, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of First Royal Oil and chairperson of the female league of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chief (Mrs) Rose Osipitan, said: “Well, I think the President is trying. He is really fighting corruption. Wherever there is corruption, everybody is bound to be corrupt. There is nothing you can do. But we all have to change. The change is for everybody. He as a person has tried. God will give him more strength to lead Nigeria. If I see him, I will tell him that he is trying.

    “You can see that it is getting better. The dollar was stronger than this before and the naira was in a very ridiculous situation. But things are getting better, and we pray God should give him the grace to take us to higher heights. When an economy goes bad, it affects all sectors. But I have the belief that as time goes on, things will improve.”

     

    Not yet uhuru

    In spite of the foregoing acknowledgement that of improvement in the nation’s economic fortunes, many other Nigerians believe that the Buhari government still has a long way to as far as improving the lots of Nigerians is concerned.

    One of such respondents, a barber in the Shogunle area of Lagos, who identified himself simply as Kenny Bee, believes that the pangs of economic recession have not abated.

    He said: “Although electricity has improved in my area, it has not got to that stage where it is predictable. Again, the prepaid meter that we are using is very costly for people to maintain. How can we say we are out of recession when cost of living is still high?

    “Things are more costly than they were before. Formerly with just N500, my fiancée would make a pot of soup. But that is no longer the case. Everything is now double the price. Definitely, the recession is still continuing.”

    Another artisan, Theresa Ikpe, lamented that the cost foodstuff was still on the high side.

    She said: “I took N1000 to the Arena Shopping Arcade in Oshodi (Lagos), but I could not get anything to buy. Before now, I could make a pot of okro soup with just N300, but that is no longer possible. It is Agege bread and beans that we are eating now.

    “Thank God for the Hausa people who are cultivating beans. Even garri is now expensive. It is the one with shaft that people buy and grind. Tell President Buhari that we are not out of recession. They should stop deceiving us.”

    Rume Abduliahi, a caterer, said: “As you can see, I am eating fufu and okro without meat or fish. Things are very expensive, in fact, beyond our imagination. The number of clients I used to have reduced unlike before. There is no improvement at all. We cannot eat electricity.”

     

    Transporters, hairdressers regret low patronage in Ondo

    The story is also not different in Ondo State. Artisans, commercial transporters, hairdressers and others who spoke to The Nationwere of the opinion that nothing has changed.

    According to a book seller at Old Garage, Akure, Mrs Beatrice Opeloyeru, the announcement that we are out of recession has had no impact on the masses.

    She said: “The status quo remains as it has been in the last two years of the present administration. Since schools resumed for new academic session in the state, our stationery business has remained stagnant because of paucity of funds for parents to purchase books for their wards.”

    An auto mechanic, Bisiriyu Alonge, said: “My brother, I don’t feel happy with the present situation in the country. Things are extremely bad. What are we even celebrating as independence? For me, the language of recession is not even clear to me. Life remains as it is. Prices of items continue to rise every day. I am fed up.”

    It was also a tale of woes for many people in Cross River State. An auto mechanic, Ndifereke Edo, said: “The recession is only over on paper and in the news. For Nigerians living and struggling to survive from day to day, nothing has really improved. We keep hearing that the naira is improving against the dollar, but until that translates into better life for us by the prices of things in the market coming down, it does not make any difference.

    “The price of foodstuff is still unreasonably high. I have a wife and a son, and I can tell you that before now, with N2,000, we would cook a very good pot of soup. Right now, that amount would barely get us anything reasonable. That amount now can only get you something just to pass through your throat and settle in your stomach just to stop hunger.

    “Customers are also not really coming for checks and repairs of their cars. For instance, when a customer hears a strange noise in his or her car, he would come to check it out and we make some money for ourselves. But now, until a car breaks down they will not come to you. Most times, they even park their vehicles and resort to public transport. In the end, people like us in this business suffer.

    “So now you can see that money is not coming in as it was coming in before, and prices are still very high in the market. You coming now to tell me that Nigeria is out of recession makes no sense. Which recession is that one?

    Edo’s view was shared by a trader who gave her name as Mrs. Augustina Obasi.

    Her words: Things are very much the way they were. Rice is still expensive. The price ranges from N100 to N120 in different places. Garri is the only food item that has come down. Garri now is seven cups for N200. Before now it was three cups for that same N200. Palm oil has gone up and is still up. Palm oil is now 450 per bottle from N350.

    “Chicken, which we used to buy for N1500, is now N1800. Even beef is very expensive now. Before now, you can get a sizeable piece for N300. To get that quantity now, you would spend N500 upwards. Generally, the price is still high and on the rise.

    “Even vegetable is now expensive. If they say recession has ended, I don’t know where it has ended. Because here in Calabar, I have not seen any sign that we are out of any recession. In fact, the only item whose price has come down is garri. And even at that, I would not say that six cups of garri for N200 is cheap.

    Artisans, farmers lament in Jos

    Artisans in Jos, the Plateau State capital, seemed to have a mindset of hopelessness in their respective trade and businesses. Paul Daman, an owner of a barbing salon in Zaramaganda, Jos, said: “I don’t always want to talk about Nigeria’s economy, because each time I think about it, I get angry. We were finding it difficult under the past administrations mainly because of lack of steady power supply. We keep lamenting every day in our meetings how availability of public electricity supply has put us at a disadvantage in this part of the country.

    “So, when in 2014 this very APC people started talking of change, promising that they know how to fix the country’s economy as fast as possible, we agreed that we were fed up with the old system. So we supported the change that was advocated by the APC. But when APC came to power through our votes, we enjoyed steady light for just four months. Since then, there was long period of no light.

    “The petrol we used to buy to run our generators was increased from N97 to N145. That was when our frustration began. There is no government electricity and we cannot afford fuel. We used to fill our small generator with less than N500 when the price of petrol used to be N97. But after the APC government increased it to N145, we will have N800 to buy four liters of fuel to fill our generator. At the end of the day, you burn the fuel without recovering even the running cost.

    Another respondent, Mathew Baba, said: “I’m regretting learning a work that requires the use of electricity or petrol. I would have been better off if I were a mechanic or an electrician. Who even told you that electricity supply has improved here in Jos?

    “By the way, I’m just hearing it from your mouth that recession is over. I don’t know what you mean by that. Public electricity is not be available. You can’t afford a litre of petrol. There are days I will come to shop and will not do anything from morning till night. I would wait for light to work but it would never come.

    “My colleagues who learnt other trades are faring better. I don’t like the economic programme of this government. Their style of administration has no room for the poor. If not, why did the Buhari government increase fuel from N97 to N145? If they are for the poor, why did they increase electricity bill? Why do they allow the private operators to oppress us with estimated billing?

    “Since I was born in this country close to 60 years ago, I never heard anything like recession until this ill-fated government. To me, recession is not over. If the government has any conscience at all, should they be lying over something that is real and practical?

    “Go to the market and tell the people that recession is over and see what will happen to you. In the last two years, the price of rice, beans, garri has remained the same, and somebody just woke up and told me recession is over. I don’t understand.

    A woman farmer in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government, Mary Dalyop, said: “Farmers are worse off under this administration. Fertilizer meant for farmers is only for the elite or for people identified as APC followers. There is still no access to fertiliser as a subsistent farmer like myself. We have our association, and the story is the same.

    “As a farmer, you can’t cultivate all the food you need to eat. I am not a rice farmer. If I want rice, I have to go to the market. Between 2015 and today, the price of rice has continued to increase. It started from N250 per measure, and to N600. We are now hearing the price has dropped to N500 per measure, and somebody is telling me recession is over. I will not accept that until the price returns to N250. That is when I will understand that there is no more recession.

    “Then if you come back home, we face the problems of electricity. It is this same government that increased electricity bill. It is the same government that increased the price of petrol. If government is saying recession is over, can they reduce the price of fuel to N40 as they promised us during campaign? Can government reduce the rate of electricity to where they met it? If they can’t do so, then, they are not serious by telling us recession is over. I get angry each time I hear this government telling us recession is over.”

     

    Kwara residents lament high prices

    Kwara State residents also decried what they described as worsening economic situation in the country. They argued that prices of goods and commodities were still on the high side, adding that only the price of garri had crashed.

    Speaking with The Nation in Ilorin, the state capital, a cybercafe operator, Juwon Medaiyese, said he had not seen any improvement, especially in the area of power supply.

    Medaiyese said: “I carry out my business every day using generator, and you know what that means. Indeed, the business environment in the last one year has been unfriendly in the country.”

    A petty trader in Ilorin, Rukayat Atoyebi, said prices foodstuff had yet to come down.

    “They said that Nigeria is getting out of recession and that naira has appreciated. But we have not felt the impact. We did not bargain for all this,” she said.

    An electrician, Abdulquadri Izegue, lamented the epileptic power supply in the country, saying: “I must tell you we don’t get jobs. We are not happy at all. People are hungry.”

    Also commenting, an auto mechanic, Johnson Ezekiel, said patronage had dwindled, adding that the appreciation in naira’s value had no impacted on the people. Ezekiel claimed the biting economic situation might not be unconnected with non-payment of workers’ salaries.

    “It is only when civil servants’ salaries are paid as and when due that artisans will get patronage,” he said.

     

    Hard times in Ogun

    An Abeokuta-based businessman, Abiodun Bademosi, said his life and business had not experienced any improvement as nothing had changed because of the recession.

    The 60-year-old Bademosi, a father of four who is into civil engineering and construction work in partnership with a friend, noted that the acclaimed exit of Nigeria from recession meant nothing to him and majority of Nigerians.

    He said: “I can’t remember handling any project in the last two years. No civil engineering projects. The Federal Government should look inward and make business people comfortable. I will implore the government to see into how the first and second Paris Club refunds were spent by the state governors, because it was not judiciously spent for the pensioners and salary earners.”

  • How dearth of skilled artisans hurts industrialisation

    How dearth of skilled artisans hurts industrialisation

    The global artisan economy is $34 billion. Nigeria has failed to leverage this group in the informal sector to drive industrialisation and create jobs. Instead, the sector, according to experts, is 80 per cent dominated by foreign artisans and craftsmen. The foreigners are said to be repatriating as much as N900 billion from Nigeria annually, leaving many local artisans jobless. However, efforts to empower local artisans and hopefully reverse the trend are on course. Asst Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.

    The National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) President General, Comrade Amaechi Asugwuni, is literarily up in arms. The labour unionist is livid over the massive loss of jobs by his members to expatriates’ invasion of the local construction industry.

    “We now see Indians and Chinese taking the jobs of technicians and artisans that can be done by Nigerians. This should be unacceptable to a country in search of development,” Asugwuni fumed, putting the blame at the Federal Government’s doorstep.

    The NUCECFWW helmsman did not mince words, last week, when he accused the Federal Government of failing to halt the abuse of expatriate quota. “Nigeria should be enhancing the development of the country through provision of jobs,” he said, observing that: “Unfortunately, successive governments have been very weak in resisting abuse of expatriate quota and casualisation of workers.”

    Asugwuni argued, for instance, that the kind of jobs that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) should approve should be clearly defined, insisting that people coming into the country as carpenters under the guise of expatriates should no longer be tolerated.

    “What is expatriate about carpenters, technicians and iron benders, among other jobs done by so-called expatriates that cannot supervise projects?” the labour leader asked, adding that there are multinational companies owned by Nigerians that also perpetuate practices that dehumanise Nigerian workers.

    Asugwuni’s worries are not without justification. For long, Nigerian artisans and craftsmen have been under their foreign counterparts’ shadow, as artisans from India, Japan, China, and neighbouring West African countries, such as Ghana, Togo, Republic of Benin, Chad, and Niger take over jobs meant for Nigerian artisans in construction and other sectors.

    The affected local artisans and craftsmen, who remain idle and jobless while foreigners call the shot, include bricklayers, carpenters, steel fabricators, plumbers, electricians, tillers, painters and casters.

    Others are tailors, barbers, masons, cobblers and other micro, small and medium-scale service providers. Also included are operators in events management, automobile repairers and car washers, to name but a few.

    Former Chairman, Board of Directors, A.G. Leventis (Nig) Plc, Chief Joseph Babatunde Oke, put the foreign dominance of Nigeria’s artisan economy in perspective when he revealed that as much as 80 per cent of artisans working in Nigeria are foreigners, mostly from neighbouring West African countries.

    Oke, a mechanical engineer, spoke in Lagos, on the sideline of the public presentation of his autobiography, “A Rose For My Mother.” He expressed worries that various categories of artisans are usually imported from neighbouring West African countries to work in building and related industries since the scrapping of Trade Centres many years ago.

    The foreign artisans, he lamented, are into various aspects of the housing, construction and related industries like carpentry, iron bending, tiling, welding, Plaster of Paris (PoP) and bricklaying, among others. He said they took over those areas of trade because the few trained local artisans were aging and new ones have not been trained to replace them.

    Dearth of artisans forcing huge capital flight

    Oke lamented that the dearth of junior technical manpower and subsequent dominance of foreign artisans has resulted in huge capital flight and also worsened unemployment in the country.

    The technocrat, who is also a  member of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), harped on the need to “Bridge this gap in technical manpower.”

    The Nation learnt from industry operators and stakeholders that the capital flight foisted on Nigeria by the gap in technical manpower is huge. For instance, the Chairman of Artisans and Craftsmen Training Board, Mr. Musa Mshalgaya, revealed that foreign artisans and craftsmen working in Nigeria repatriate about N900 billion every year.

    Mshalgaya, who spoke in Abuja, shortly after his inauguration as chairman, Advisory Board of Construction Skills Training and Empowerment Programme (C-STEmp), attributed the disturbing situation to the fact that Nigerian-trained artisans were aging out and new ones haven’t been trained to replace them. Besides, many Nigerians, he said, feel they have other forms of work outside artisanship and craftsmanship.

    Indeed, most artisans are aging out and retiring from their professions, while new entrants are minimal. The older artisans can hardly operate their businesses without the services of apprentices and younger workers. Both the older and younger artisans that would have, perhaps, challenged the dominance of the foreigners are faced with difficult operating environment.

    Apart from the difficulty in accessing capital, local artisans are hamstrung by Nigerians’ penchant for foreign goods/services, which manifests in lack of patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods/services. Other challenges that stand in their way include lack of supportive infrastructure, particularly power, insecurity, policy inconsistency, and insincerity amongst artisans.

    Job creation, industrialisation suffer

    According to experts, the global artisan economy is $34 billion per year industry. But Nigeria has not been able to claim a chunk of this burgeoning informal sector of the global economy to give fresh impetus to her current industrialisation drive.

    Despite her competitive advantage in this sector, given her rich cultural traditions, large army of artisans, though mostly unskilled, and unique raw materials, Africa’s largest economy and most populous country has yet to fully exploit the potential of her artisan economy to create jobs and drive industrialisation.

    Already, there are fears that technical labour skills may soon disappear completely from the development landscape, with serious negative consequences for economic growth and development, unless urgent and concerted efforts are made to halt the decline.

    This is so considering the fact that the artisan sector is believed to be the second largest employer behind agriculture in the developing world including Nigeria. Millions of people—most of them women—participate in the artisan economy, practicing traditional crafts as a means to earn income and sustain their livelihoods.

    In fact, experts said developing countries currently account for 65 per cent of handicraft exports around the world. They, however, regretted that Nigeria’s artisan sector still has a long way to go to reach its full potential as a sustainable source of income generation, employment, and economic growth for impoverished communities.

    At present, about 20, 000 Nigerian artisans particularly those in the construction industry, are said to be jobless, with many resorting to commercial motorcycle riding, popularly called okada to make ends meet.

    Others have also turned to petty trading to make ends meet, while others, for lack of means of livelihood, have taken to armed robbery, kidnapping, advance fee fraud, otherwise called ‘419’ and other vices.

    The Association of Building Consultants and Artisans of Nigeria (ABCAN), for instance, confirmed that over 20, 000 of its members across the country are without job. ABCAN took a swipe on home builders and government, accusing them of preferring foreign artisans to indigenous ones.

    To drive home their frustration, ABCAN President, Mr. Jimmy Oshinubi, threatened that if government does not stop giving construction jobs to foreign artisans at the detriment of locals, “it will result to xenophobic attack in Nigeria just as it happened in South Africa.”

    His threat underscored the need to heed Oke and other experts’ wise counsel on the need to establish a technical college that will provide training opportunities and development of various categories of artisans. Oke said the establishment of a technical college for this purpose was one of the aims of his Foundation.

    Public, private sector wade in

    To halt the impending disappearance of technical labour skills and services from the informal sector and also unleash its potential to significantly contribute to grassroots empowerment, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and industrialisation, both the public and private sectors have rolled out various empowerment programmes for artisans in the form of training and provision of capital.

    For instance, at the last count, 23,400 artisans and traders in 13 states and the Federal Capital Territory are said to have benefited from soft loans disbursed under the Federal Government’s Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), under President Muhammadu Buhari’s Social Investment Programmes (SIPs).

    The loans, which ranged from N10, 000 to N100, 000 per applicant, were paid directly to individual artisan or trader, who was expected to belong to a registered association and/or cooperative. The Nation learnt that this was to ensure that the beneficiary was peer-endorsed as credible, and also to facilitate timely repayment.

    The micro-credit scheme was a no-interest loan scheme, with only a one-time five per cent administrative fee charged for costs. Broadly, it was targeted at micro-enterprises: traders, artisans, market men and women, entrepreneurs, and farmers with the involvement of cooperatives, and executed through the Bank of Industry (BoI).

    As part of its determination to reduce unemployment rate and skill deficiency among artisans, the Governor Akinwumi Ambode led administration in Lagos State has since stepped up efforts at providing the enabling environment for young entrepreneurs, artisans and tradesmen to do business, deliver innovation, and boost the growth of the state’s economy.

    The Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment (MWC&E) does this in collaboration with Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB). It has intensified the campaign to train tradesmen and artisans in the state to enhance their productivity and upgrade their skills.

    According to the Permanent Secretary, MWC&E, Mr. Abdul Ahmed Mustapha, the state has contributed N25 billion to an Employment Trust Fund (ETF) to support small scale enterprises. He said the government hopes to encourage start-up businesses and small-scale redevelopment projects by creating incubation centres across the state.

    Individuals, corporates join the empowerment fray

    Last week, a total of 100 artisans were rewarded with a grant of N300, 000 each to be invested in their businesses, under an empowerment programme tagged “ISEDOWO” for youths from the Southwest.

    The 100 beneficiaries were the first batch of youths that will benefit from a N30 million Community Partnership Scheme by Goldberg, produced by Nigerian Breweries Plc.

    At the unveiling of the empowerment programme in the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi- Ojaja II, NB Plc’s Marketing Director, Franco Maria Maggi, said ISEDOWO was designed to equip young Yoruba men and women with the support they need to grow their businesses.

    He expressed optimism that the gesture would positively transform the lives of its beneficiaries, have spill over effects on the larger economy while also increasing income and creating jobs.

    Interested participants were required to showcase their business ideas and how it impacts the society in order to benefit from the empowerment scheme.

    More screening and selection process will continue across the seven states in the Southwest after which the brewery giant will select another batch of beneficiary artisans for the largesse.

    The thinking is that if current efforts by the private and public sector in empowering artisans are sustained, significant boost will come the way of this informal sector.

  • Buhari welcome rally shuts down Ado-Ekiti

    Buhari welcome rally shuts down Ado-Ekiti

    …APC, Civil Society groups slam Fayose for “Death Wish”

    Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, was at a standstill for about two hours on Monday as residents under the aegis the Coalition of Civil Society groups staged a solidarity rally to weclome President Muhammadu Buhari back from his medical vacation.

    The coalition which includes the All Progressives Congress (APC), Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), labour leaders, youths, artisans, students, market women, commercial drivers and other interest groups slammed Governor Ayo Fayose for “wishing the President dead and making comments that could set the country on fire.”

    The rally which started at about 9.00 am at Okeyinmi Roundabout proceeded to Ijigbo before terminating at Mobil area in the city. Many of those who participated in the rally carried placards with various inscriptions.

    Some of the placards read: “Welcome Back Buhari, Shame On Fayose,” “On Buhari We Stand, Corruption Must Go,” “The Lion Is Finally Back Home,” “Fayose, You Are A Disappoinment To Ekiti People,” “Fayose Must Commit Suicide Now As Promised,” “Welcome Back, Baba, African Champion of War Against Corruption,” among others.

    The rally which was supervised by officers and men of the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) caused a traffic snarl on the major highway in the city.

    Protest leaders who took turns to address the people expressed satisfaction with the Saturday’s return of Buhari to the country saying his return will add bite to the anti-corruption crusade and economic recovery.

    Ekiti APC Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe, who was represented by his deputy, Mrs. Kemisola Olaleye, said Buhari’s return has exposed what he called “the unending lies of Fayose” who he said never wished the President to come back home alive.

    Awe who accused Fayose of playing God on the health of President advised the governor to emulate his Rivers State counterpart Nyesom Wike whom he said displayed maturity by joining other governors to welcome Buhari despite belonging to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said: “God has put Fayose to shame on Buhari, God has silenced him for his lies on the President’s health. We appreciate the people of Ekiti State for their good wishes and prayers for our President throughout the time he was away.

    “Anybody wishing Buhari dead will go before him, we rejoice with our President that he arrived safely and this has put an end to all the lies of Fayose.

    “We urge Fayose to honour his promise, let him be man enough to commit suicide if Buhari returns alive as he had earlier promised.

    “Ekiti people are tired of is one-day-one-trouble government and one-day-one-propaganda government and we want to assure our people that Fayose’s day of reckoning is very near.”

    Coordinator of Progressive Youth League (PYL), Adeoye Aribasoye, berated Fayose for “raising false alarm” on the health of President by threatening to release eleven damaging pictures of Buhari on life support.

    Aribasoye: “God is greater than men, Fayose said he has eleven damaging pictures of Buhari. We want the whole world to know that whatever he says does not represent the view of Ekiti people.”

    Labour leader, Kolawole Olaiya, urged Buhari to probe how the proceeds of Paris Club refunds to Ekiti was spent by Fayose regretting that workers are suffering.

    “Olaiya said: “We want President Buhari to revisit the issue of the Paris Club refunds to Ekiti State. Local government workers in Ekiti have not received salaries for about nine months.”

    CNPP Chairman Tunji Ogunlola said: “Nigeria’s collective destiny cannot be aborted by a tiny group of crooks whose survival depend on the looting of our commonwealth.

    “It is on this strength that we believe the President’s return presents a fresh hope for the accomplishment of our collective dream for a great nation as he settles down to work.”

  • Championing techy artisans

    Championing techy artisans

    The Lagos Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment and the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB) are partnering to produce competent artisans to support the Lagos State’s industry’s growing needs for technical excellence.DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    For most of his life, Executive President, Lagos State Council of Tradesmen and Artisans, Alhaji Nurudeen Buhari, has been involved in arts and craft.

    He has worked closely with many artisans to turn their crafts into good products. While some have found markets, others  have increased value and appreciation for their craftsmanship.

    With a population of about 20 million and its status as a mega city, Buhari, believes tradesmen and artisans can be developed to form the foundation for stronger and competitive industries.

    As a result of retirement, however, there are fewer and fewer experienced artisans in Lagos. He is sad to see artisans relegated to the background because of their literacy level.

    Currently, the competency level of some artisans and tradesmen is poor.

    This is happening because artisans and tradesmen in the past have not received enough training to enable them explore opportunities to expand their business locally.

    However,  this is changing as  the Lagos State government is working through the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment and the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB) to train and certify artisans.

    There are now programmes  designed to train young and ageing people in the artisanal and skilled trades sectors.

    Addressing the opening of an eight -week training for artisans and tradesmen in Lagos, Buhari thanked the Lagos State Government for continuous training of members, assuring of LASCOTA’s commitment in helping the present administration meet its set goals.

    The Commissioner, Lagos  State Ministry of Lagos Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment,  Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, represented by the  Head of Entrepreneurship Department, Mrs. Taiwo  Abiose, stressed that it was vital that artisans equip themselves with the skills needed by the marketplace so  they can take advantage of opportunities that will help reduce poverty and  spur economic growth.

    He said Lagos State is not only determined to   provide residents with well-trained, skilled & reliable employees ensuring that they provide quality work within the market.

    She expressed optimism that after completing the eight weeks intensive training programme, beneficiaries will acquire capacities to provide services.

    The Executive Secretary LASTVEB, Mrs. Omolara Erogbogbo, said technical and vocational education and training is an area the government is investing to bring direct impact on incomes and economic growth.

    She said the state government has created an online platform for artisans and tradesmen to register and sell their services.

    She said the platform connects artisans with residents in need of reliable, secure, hassle-free and high quality service with service providers who are trusted, experienced and verified.

    With this platform, she said the government is determined to promote adherence to relevant industry codes and standards in all activities and projects executed by service providers.

    While identifying some key challenges facing artisans as poor access to markets and market-related information, she said the platform provides a transparent and traceable tradesmen and artisans sourcing services for Lagos residents.

  • Artisans urged to embrace contributory pension scheme

    Workers in the informal sector have been advised to save for retirement by joining the different pension schemes  in the country.

    The Managing Director of Sigma Pensions Limited, Mr Dave Uduanu,  gave this advice at a one-day human resources  conference  in Port Harcourt.

    Uduana organised the workshop for human resources managers in the Pensions Fund Administration from the Southsouth and Southeast.

    He said saving for retirement  would help people to enjoy their old age.

    Uduanu said it was not advisable for people to wait to mop up their lives’ savings at old age and begin to invest it in fishing or other sundry agricultural ventures wondering “what becomes of the person’s fate if the business fails.?”

    The Sigma Pensions Limited boss, who disclosed that Rivers, Edo and Delta, have joined Contributory Pension Scheme,  expressed hope that  Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Cross River would join soon because “we owe it as a service to ensure that states in the two geopolitical zones key into the pensions scheme”.

    Uduanu, who stated that his company is targeting about 500,000 workers in the two zones, also explained that the conference was organised “to build knowledge in human resources managers so that they could do their jobs better.”

    In a lead paper delivered at the event, the Head of Corporate Communications and Special Adviser to the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals, Dr Jossy Nkwocha, harped on the need for human resources managers to adopt tools that would bring in efficiency and increased productivity in organisations.

    In the paper titled: “Tools For Increased Personnel Efficiency and Productivity”, Nkwocha said that “there are 12 unmistakable tools of personnel efficiency and productivity” which are: robust human resources management policies and practices; workplace behaviour and corporate etiquette; technology and ICT as well as effective communication.

    Others are time management skills; employee engagement and communication; team building and goal setting; training, retraining certification; employees suggestion scheme; management by objectives; national and international laws and regulations and effective supervision, monitoring and control.

    He also told human resources managers that their functions basically include talent hunt and recruitment; staff training and staff welfare which involves housing, feeding, transportation and healthcare as well as promotion, disengagement and pensions of staff.

    In a paper titled “Wills and Trust”, Adaku Ijara of United Capital, Lagos lectured the participants on the importance of will, how to write and execute it when the time comes.

    The Rivers State Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, Mr Steve Ojeh, spoke on “Effective Performance Management System”, the Southsouth Coordinator of Pencom,  x-rayed “The Pension Industry in the Next Five Years.”