Federal Government to transfer 14,000 skilled artisans to the UAE

Federal Government to transfer 14,000 skilled artisans to the UAE

To strengthen Nigeria’s economy through skilled artisans exports and labor manpower exports, the federal government, via the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), has announced plans to improve the abilities of artisans.

This was revealed in a statement made on Thursday in Lagos by Temitope Ajayi, President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity.

Mr. Ajayi claims that the Nigerian government is working with Abu Dhabi to provide 14,000 skilled artisans to work in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through a national framework called the “Skill-Up Artisans” (SUPA) initiative.

According to Mr. Ajayi, the main goals of SUPA are to promote national growth, guarantee that skilled laborers are available for use in local sectors, and establish a long-term labor export pipeline.

He pointed out that to draw African craftsmen, several nations, including Denmark, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Estonia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, were proposing new visa categories.

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President Tinubu has directed the ITF to retrain and guarantee that 20 million Nigerian craftsmen receive the necessary certifications over the next five years to increase the number of indigenous artisans skilled in in-demand professions.

This will enable them to become competitive and fully utilize both domestic and international work opportunities.

“The president also issued an order to reverse the unfavorable trend of Chinese, Filipino and neighboring West African artisans assuming jobs intended for Nigerian artisans,” the statement read.

Mr. Ajayi mentioned that over the past ten years, a lot of IOCs and oil service firms in Nigeria have had trouble finding welders, plumbers, electricians, and other professionals to complete their projects.

As part of the Renewed Hope Agenda for inclusive and shared prosperity, he said, SUPA was created to pivot a paradigm shift in technological know-how and service delivery for Nigerian artisans.

“SUPA will equally address the country’s outdated and skill-deficient artisanal practices,” Mr. Ajayi declared.

Speaking on the significance of upskilling craftsmen for national development, Mr. Ajayi stated that Afiz Oluwatoyin, the director general of ITF, clarified that the project would guarantee Nigerian artisans compete globally.

Oluwatoyin pointed out that, in contrast to other nations where artisans were highly valued for their contributions to economic prosperity, Nigerian artisans had historically operated like illiterates and low-class individuals.

Mr. Oluwatoyin was cited as saying, “We want to upgrade Nigerian artisans to international standards.”