Federal Government Set To Establish Artisan Skill Acquisition Centers In All 36 States
In a bid to lock Nigeria’s skills deficit and empower its youth, the Federal Government has undertaken an all-inclusive plan to construct artisan skill acquisition centers across the 36 states of the federation. The ambitious initiative is a part of the entire efforts towards professionalizing vocational professions, ensuring quality in the construction sector, and boosting economic growth nationwide.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development reiterated this during the opening ceremony of the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Summer Skills Acquisition Camp 2025. He mentioned that this program shows the government’s commitment to investing in the future workforce of Nigeria by giving young people practical skills that help with national development. The Minister pointed out that the Federal Government has recently added 15 essential skills to the basic education system, calling it a brave and smart move to help close the growing skills gap in the country. He also said that the pilot camp, which is currently focusing on masonry, plumbing, tiling, painting, and interior design, will act as a model for similar programs across the country.
National Artisan Skills Acquisition Programme (NASAP) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is at the heart of the program. Launched first as a pilot in 2025, the program reached 3,000 artisans across three states with six months of intensive training in 10 in-demand building trades including bricklaying, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, welding, tiling, painting, upholstery, and HVAC. The pilot also integrated a futuristic digital platform—Craft-Hub, an “Uber for artisans,” which would highlight skilled and qualified artisans to allow them to be connected to work efficiently
NASAP’s phased roll-out is seen:
• 2025: Pilot phase (3,000 artisans)
• 2026: Planned expansion nationwide
• 2027: Launch of Regional Centres of Excellence to ensure standards in training
Through this framework, the government aims to deliver professional certification, attachment to work, and long-term infrastructure for vocational skill development.
Aiming NASAP is an auxillary push led by the Industrial Trust Fund (ITF), looking to train 100,000 artisans across the country in the year 2025. The objective of the program is to eradicate quackery, enhance training quality, and license and register artisans for their occupation—overall raising labor dignity and employability
A main innovation of this initiative is the Craft-Hub digital platform. As a frictionless marketplace, the platform will contain verified profiles of craftsmen—including trade skills, location, work history, and ratings—to establish transparency and credibility in the construction sector. Its commercial model takes cue from ride-hailing platforms in a fast and efficient match of skilled labour to customers
NASAP’s sustainability is further improved in a Public–Private Partnership (PPP) modality. Even though the Ministry drives the financing, the programme is also underpinned by important development institutions like the World Bank, African Development Bank, UNDP, GIZ, JICA, and ESG-focused private investors
In parallel with NASAP, the National Council on Skills has advocated for a National Skills Infrastructure Audit. It will list and physically confirm all existing training institutions in various ministries and agencies, chart capacity gaps and prevent program duplication. The objective is to match existing training facilities against national development needs and occupational standards
Why This Matters: Key Impacts and Strategic Importance
1.Tackling Severe Shortages: Nigeria’s housing and construction industries have long been plagued by poor workmanship. These programs tackle the problem head-on with structured training
2.Enabling Young People and Employment: With millions of youth unemployed, providing artisanal training creates good careers and self-employment for young people in the building and allied trades.
3.Certification & Standardization: Certification of trades skills legitimizes the skills and, with the improvement in quality, adds to the pride of the profession and holds individuals responsible.
- Digital Integration: Craft-Hub is a trailblazing initiative that brings artisan-market interaction into the digital age and is scalable in the future.
- Sustainable Capability Building: State-level centers, NBTE certification alignment, and PPP financing ensures long-term viability
This ambitious initiative to establish artisan skill acquisition centers in Nigeria’s 36 states represents a revolutionary turning point in the vocational training pattern of the nation. Through systematic training, certification, digital integration, and strategic partnerships, the Federal Government is laying the ground to transform Nigeria’s artisan economy—upscale skills, unlock opportunities, and provide quality output in construction and beyond. All these are in line with President Tinubu’s overall Renewed Hope Agenda, which has sustainable development through capacity building and empowerment.
Summary Table: Key Components at a Glance
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| NASAP Pilot (2025) | 3,000 artisans across 3 states; 6-month training in 10 trades |
| Nationwide Rollout (2026) | Expansion to all 36 states |
| Regional Centres (2027) | Establishment of Centres of Excellence for sustained training |
| Training Target (2025) | 100,000 artisans via ITF-driven programme |
| Digital Platform | Craft-Hub “Uber for artisans” for job matchmaking |
| PPP & Partnerships | Support from World Bank, AfDB, UNDP, GIZ, JICA, ESG investors |
| Skills Infrastructure Audit | Catalogue and assess all training centers nationwide |
All this integrated effort to establish artisan skill acquisition centers in all 36 states of Nigeria is a milestone in the country’s vocational training experience. By sustained training, certification, computerization, and strategic partnerships, the Federal Government is laying groundwork for the rejuvenation of Nigeria’s artisan industry—the upscaling of skills, the creation of jobs, and the delivery of quality outputs in construction and other sectors. All these are components of President Tinubu’s broader Renewed Hope Agenda, to be attained through empowerment and capacity development with a focus on sustainable development.
