No fewer than 120 building artisans, trained by an NGO, Shelter Watch Initiative, on Friday graduated from the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State.
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The training was done in collaboration with the School of Environmental Studies of the polytechnic.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that SWI has so far retrained more than 2,000 artisans at the various polytechnics in Lagos and Ogun states.
In a speech on the occasion, the Executive Director of SWI, Mr Segun Olutade, said the initiative was targeted at creating a reliable database and a pool for proficient artisans in the two states.
“We want to take building artisans off the streets and reduce unemployment in the state. The programme is also aimed at reducing the incessant cases of building collapse and establishing the needed bridge between the aging artisans and the young ones,” he said.
Olutade said Ogun State was chosen for the pilot scheme of the Job Centre Initiative, a project being executed in partnership with the German Corporation for International Development, Lafarge Cement Plc and Julius Berger Plc.
According to him, the empowerment programme focuses on 70 per cent on-site training and 30 per cent theory.
“With job centres across the country, lack of structure, which has been the bane of development in the sub-sector of the construction industry, will be resolved.
“Under the programme, youths will be encouraged to learn more than just a single trade as the mono-trade nature of Nigerian artisans has seriously affected their marketability,” he added.
The Dean, School of Environmental Studies, Mr Tayo Fajuyitan, said it had become imperative to embrace vocational studies in the face of growing rate of unemployment and economic disequilibrium in the country.
He urged government at all levels to vigorously address the issues of epileptic power supply, deplorable road networks and insecurity among other issues.
Fajuyitan congratulated the graduating artisans and advised them to put the skills acquired to good use.
National President of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, Mr Ugochukwu Chime, urged them to be passionate about their jobs, but cautioned them against poor attitude to work.
