The Federal Government has revealed plans to create a digital medium aimed at connecting trained artisans with diverse opportunities in the construction sector.
Unveiling the plan, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Architect Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, while receiving the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industrial Training and Development, Hon. Adamson Ayinde and his team on Wednesday, said that the initiative tagged “Uber for Artisans” will stand as an online marketplace where skilled Nigerians will be made more accessible and efficient.
The minister explained that the platform will create earning opportunities for artisans and aim to give customers easy access to skilled professionals for their construction needs.
“Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has disclosed the plan of the Ministry to create an online application for skilled workers, aimed at leveraging technology to make artisans more visible, accessible, and efficient in delivering their services,” the statement read in part.
In addition, the Ministry announced the establishment of the National Artisan Skill Acquisition Program (NASA) which will address the shortage of skilled artisans in the construction industry and create a better life for Nigerian youths.
The initiative, set to launch within the year, aims to partner with various government agencies, institutions, and the private sector to train young Nigerians. Construction-related skills such as plumbing, electrical work, masonry, carpentry, and more are lined up for the program.
The ministry also highlighted that it is working to complete and operationalize vocational training centres in Abuja, Lagos, and Imo states. Backing this plan and the federal government’s commitment to bridging the skills gap in the construction sector, the ministry pointed out that the 2025 budget proposal includes allocations for these centres.
Furthermore, Dangiwa said some of these institutions will be refurbished in the next few months to serve as centres for hands-on training and capacity building.
On ensuring implementation, he added that a committee will be set up within three months to develop a training framework and engage with key stakeholders, including relevant associations in the building industry.
Federal government e-governance pursuits
For a while, the federal government has been on a mission to digitally reform its activities amidst the global tech shifts. The plan looks stronger under Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration combined with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy’s (FMCIDE) drive.
In a plan championed by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the federal government is intensifying its efforts to set up a one-stop digital platform for public services which could transform how citizens access government operations and help the country meet its goal of digitizing 75 per cent of public services by 2027.
The plan, announced in November 2024 is to digitalise all the 774 local government headquarters in Nigeria by 2027. It will also share lessons from countries such as Ukraine which have successfully implemented such initiative
However, the story was not successful for its OneGov.net initiative as the federal government encountered challenges. These challenges include technical limitations, insufficient infrastructure, and the absence of consistent regulatory frameworks which have slowed progress.
Last week, the federal government also unveiled the Nigerian Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) framework which is a unified approach to delivering digital services across critical life events for Nigerians.
Launched under the FMCIDE, the implementation of the framework will assist the government in employing a “whole-of-government approach” and leverage the private sector’s capabilities to develop services to the public.
The DPI provides a technological innovation for access to life events by Nigerians. This stems from significant moments of life that require government support or services such as registration of births, antenatal healthcare, vaccines, school enrollment, scholarships, health insurance for business registrations, filing of taxes, etc.
The federal government noted on the framework that it is on a mission to appropriately deploy digital technology to support Nigerians through these life events and profound moments so they can integrate into the state and enjoy the benefits of citizenhood from cradle to old age.
The Nigerian DPI under the Life Events will support significant landmarks such as registration of births, primary healthcare, vaccinations, student scholarships, marriages, mortgages, pensions, retirement, and so on. It will again ensure that applications used by the government to serve citizens are developed and deployed in a structured, frugal, and purposeful manner.
Read More: DPI: FG unveils plan to provide digital service in critical life events for Nigerians.
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