The minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa, has commended the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) for commencing a skills acquisition centre for artisans in the built environment.
The minister stated this yesterday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of ARCON’s Summer Skills Acquisition Camp 2025, saying the step was in the right direction to sustain the country’s future.
The three-week camp, which is open to secondary school students, will expose attendees to masonry, plumbing, tiling, painting, and interior design and is held at the School of Architectural Technicians Scheme (SATS), Kuje, Abuja.
The minister, who was represented by the ministry’s director and head of Public Buildings and Development, Pemi Temitope, revealed that the centre was borne through the collaborative efforts of the housing ministry and ARCON.
“Today, we are not just inaugurating a camp. We are investing in the future workforce of Nigeria. We are affirming that the true foundation of national development is not merely in bricks and mortar, but in the hands that mould them, the minds that design them, and the skills that sustain them. The federal government’s recent introduction of 15 compulsory skills into basic education is a bold and strategic response to bridge the widening skills gap in our nation.
“This Summer Skill Acquisition Camp, focusing on masonry, plumbing, tiling, painting, and interior design, is a pilot edition of a vision that we intend to replicate and scale across Nigeria.
“It represents a practical collaboration between the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, aimed at nurturing the next generation of builders, designers, and artisans”, he revealed.
He added that the program will bridge the country’s skill acquisition gap by introducing the young participants to structured, hands-on learning, where skill meets creativity, and training meets opportunity.
ARCON president Dr. Gabriel Ajayi said the camp’s takeoff is a landmark moment not just for ARCON but for the entire built environment sector in Nigeria.
Ajayi, who appreciated the minister for his unwavering support and leadership, said the council will work towards replicating similar feat in other geopolitical zones in the country.
“While this camp may seem like a small step as a pioneer edition, it is a giant leap towards a future where skill acquisition becomes a mainstream component of our educational and professional development landscape.
“This camp is not designed as a mere training session, but as the seed of a Centre of Excellence — a hub where hard and soft skills will be built, where relevant research will be conducted, and where cross-fertilisation of ideas will thrive to advance Nigeria’s built environment”, he added.
