The Lagos State Government on Monday reiterated the need to focus more on the training of artisans in the informal sector as a catalyst for growing the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Mr Wasiu Akewusola, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing said this in a statement by his spokesperson, Mrs Adeola Salako in Lagos.
He said that boosting the capacity of artisans in the state would help achieve the target.
According to him, the state government understands how important artisans are to the development of the state, hence engaging in their training and retraining.
Akewusola who hosted members of the Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) on a corporate visit to his office, said continuous upgrading of the skills and competencies of artisans was important for high-quality buildings delivery.
The permanent secretary also said trained artisans would equally help in achieving the goals of building safe and sustainable homes in Lagos and Nigeria in general.
He said that the failure of most building designs lies in the inability of artisans to correctly translate building plans or designs into reality.
“The significant role played by artisans cannot be underestimated as they determine the exactness of the specifications of most building projects.
“It is therefore in the best interest of all stakeholders along the building value chain to spare a thought for the continuous improvement of the skills of these artisans so that their output can justify the time and financial investment of all concerned.
“Artisans are very important in achieving the goals of building safe and sustainable homes hence Lagos government is set for an active involvement in capacity building for this category of workers,’’ Akewusola said.
According to him, upgrading and retooling of artisans will make them to be more marketable in the global labour market.
Akewusola called for improved collaboration with all the professional associations in the built environment sector for speedy actualisation of the transformation agenda of the state government.
“The building of a greater Lagos of our dreams is a joint responsibility of all,’’ he said.
Earlier, the NIOB Lagos State Chapter Chairman Mr Sunday Wusu said that the association was ready to support the state government in contents and modules development to enhance capacity of artisans.
He listed the artisans they could train to include masons, tillers, painters and aluminium fabricators who will on the long run add value to the deliverables of the state government in the housing sector.
Wusu added that safety and quality of homes could be guaranteed only when the artisans were well-grounded in their various areas of specialisation.
A former Chairperson of the chapter, Mrs Said Adenike also appealed for the placement of some of the association’s trainees in ongoing projects of the state so that they can acquire appropriate site experience to boost their understanding of the practice.