The Federal government says it has plans to open skill acquisition camps for artisans across the 36 states of the country as part of efforts to boost economic growth through the informal sector.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa, made the disclosure at the opening ceremony of the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Summer Skills Acquisition Camp 2025.
Dangiwa stated that ‘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’, he said
President, ARCON, Dr. Gabriel Oladipo, said ‘It is ARCON’s fervent vision that this initiative will grow into a national model, replicated in every geopolitical zone across the country. Given that every state of the federation is duly represented on the Council of ARCON, it is not far-fetched to dream of a day when this program is replicated in all 36 states of the federation and the FCT, ensuring that no aspiring builder, artisan, or designer is left behind’.
