Plans to create a digital platform to link skilled craftspeople with construction industry employment possibilities have been revealed by the federal government. By acting as an online marketplace, the project, called “Uber for Artisans,” will increase the visibility, accessibility, and efficiency of skilled artisans’ service delivery.
The plan was revealed by Housing and Urban Development Minister Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa during a meeting with Hon. Adamson Ayinde, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industrial Training and Development, and his team at the ministry’s Abuja headquarters, according to a statement accessed by BrandSpur Nigeria news, posted on the ministry’s website recently. He emphasised how the site will help artisans make more money while making sure that builders and individuals can easily find qualified professionals for their building requirements.
According to the statement: “Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has disclosed the plan of the Ministry to create an online application for skilled workers, aimed at leveraging technology to make artisans more visible, accessible and efficient in delivering their services.
“He explained that the digital platform to be named ‘Uber for Artisans’ will serve as an online marketplace where trained and certified artisans can connect with potential customers, adding the platform would enhance the earning potential of artisans and ensure that customers have access to skilled professionals for their construction needs,” it added.
The National Artisan Skill Acquisition Program (NASA) was created by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to address the lack of qualified craftsmen in the building sector and provide young Nigerians with sustainable means of subsistence, the statement further disclosed. The initiative, which is scheduled to begin this year, is to give young people skills connected to construction, including carpentry, masonry, plumbing, and electrical work.
Continuing, to teach and certify artisans, it will also work with pertinent government organisations, institutions, and the commercial sector. The ministry is striving to finish and open vocational training facilities in the states of Imo, Lagos, and Abuja as part of this initiative.
The government’s commitment to closing the skills gap in the construction industry is demonstrated by the funding allotted for these centres in the 2025 budget proposal document. In the upcoming months, the Minister added, some of these institutions would undergo rehabilitation to become centres for practical training and capacity building.
However, to help with this, a committee will be established in three months to create a training framework and interact with important parties, such as pertinent construction industry groups.
