Lagos state to train 4,000 craftsmen in 4 years

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According to the state commissioner for housing, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal, this training will put an end to the shortage of skilled craftsmen, Punch reports.

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Speaking at the inauguration of the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme Oko-Oba Housing Estate, Lawal introduced the ‘Master Craftsmen Project’, intended to develop skilled construction workers.

“The Master Craftsmen Project is another policy initiative of this administration, which is intended to redress the dearth of skilled workers in the building industry such as masons, carpenters, steel fabricators, plumbers, electricians, painters, joiners, tillers and the likes.

It will appear that the Nigerian housing and construction industry is becoming more and more dependent on foreigners to fill the skills gap created as our trained artisans gradually age out and not sufficient number of new ones are being trained to replace them.

In order to correct the above anomalies, the Lagos State Master Craftsmen Project is being introduced as the government’s intervention in collaboration with relevant professional bodies, particularly the Nigerian Institute of Builders,” he said.

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This training will be done over the course of four years.