In its bid to create a strategic response to the deepening shortage of skilled artisans in Nigeria’s construction sector, the federal ministry of housing and urban development has formally designed and presented the National Artisan Skills Acquisition Programme (NASAP).
The minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, who made the presentation at the 6th National Council on Skills (NCS), chaired by the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima in Abuja, also said NASAP is a flagship intervention under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, designed to deliver practical, market-ready skills to Nigerian youth and raise the standard of housing delivery across the country.
Dangiwa who revealed that the key feature of the Programme is Craft-Hub, also said its goal is to train and certify 10,000 artisans annually, creating a steady pipeline of skilled professionals to meet the demands of Nigeria’s growing housing sector.
“Whether it’s public or private housing projects, poor workmanship is undermining quality and safety. NASAP is not just another training scheme. It’s a national effort to professionalise artisanship, restore quality, and connect skills to jobs”.
“We are building trust in skills. “Craft-Hub will make it easy to find verified artisans just like booking a ride on Uber”, the minister stated.
He emphasised that after undergoing training and certification, artisans will be digitally profiled and on-boarded to a national database accessible to developers, contractors, and the general public. Dangiwa added that each profile will include location, trade, ratings, and work history, building trust and enhancing job opportunities.
While explaining that NASAP is designed as a 6-month intensive training programme, combining classroom instruction, hands-on practicals, mentorship, and jobsite exposure, the minister revealed that it covers 10 high-demand construction trades which includes, bricklaying/ Masonry, plumbing /pipefitting, electrical installations as well as carpentry/ woodwork, painting/ decorative Finishes including welding/ fabrication, tiling and Floor finishing also included are POP/screeding, upholstery/ furniture Craft and lastly air Conditioning/refrigeration.
The minister further stated that the programme will leverage on existing Building Craft Training Schools in Kuje and Yaba, with new centres planned for Imo and Yobe States, adding that it will operate through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework, with the Ministry providing initial funding and working with development partners such as the World Bank, AFDB, UNDP, GIZ, JICA, and ESG aligned private investors to mobilise additional resources.
In his response, Vice President Kashim Shettima commended the minister for the initiative, describing NASAP as a game-changing intervention that aligns with the federal government’s priority to close the skills gap in infrastructure delivery.
“This initiative is timely and visionary,” the Vice President said. “If properly implemented, NASAP will go a long way in fixing the skills deficit that continues to undermine construction quality across the country”.
Following the presentation, the Council advised the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to deepen engagement with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to ensure full alignment of NASAP’s curriculum and structure with national certification frameworks.
