The Federal Government announced its plan to train 100,000 artisans across Nigeria in 2025 through a new initiative called Skill Up Artisan Supa. This move is part of a larger strategy to reduce unemployment and boost the economy by empowering young Nigerians with valuable technical skills.
Dr Oluwatoyin Ogun, the Director-General of the Industrial Trust Fund (ITF), revealed this on Tuesday during the opening of the Association of Nigerian Artisans and Technicians (ASNAT) Secretariat in Akure, Ondo State. He emphasised that the initiative is a direct response to President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to prioritise local skill development and not okada riders.
“Skill Up Artisan Supa is a very robust programme brought by President Bola Tinubu for artisans in Nigeria,” Dr Ogun stated. “He wants to make sure that the artisans in Nigeria are at par with their colleagues all over the world. He wants to make sure that the Nigerian artisans are up there.”
He further explained that this is the first time in Nigeria’s history a sitting president is putting such focus on artisans. The programme is designed to raise the standard of Nigerian craftsmanship, tackle unemployment, and address the issue of unqualified workers—often referred to as quacks—in the technical sector.
In 2024, 29,000 people were trained under the pilot phase of the programme, many of whom were previously unskilled. This time, the government plans to begin with fully recognised artisans and take them to international levels of expertise. The initiative will support high-demand skills like solar installation, plumbing, welding, electrical work, and digital skills.
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Dr Ogun added that improving skills among artisans would naturally reduce the number of people resorting to commercial motorcycle riding (popularly known as okada) as a last option for survival. “When the artisans start gaining enormously from their sweat, then none of the artisans will go and start riding bike as a means of livelihood. It will stop naturally,” he said.