Lagos State Govt Advocates Continuous Retraining Of Artisans For Improved Housing Deliverables

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Housing, Mr. Wasiu Akewusola, has asserted that continuous upgrade of the skills and competencies of artisans in the State is a crucial prerequisite for delivering high-quality buildings.

Akewusola made the assertion yesterday while welcoming a delegation from the Nigerian Institution of Building on a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Housing at the Secretariat, Ikeja, stressing that the significant role of artisans in the built environment cannot be overemphasised.

“It is, therefore, in the best interest of all stakeholders along the building value chain to spare a thought for the continuous improvement of the skills of these artisans so that their output can justify the time and financial investment of all concerned”, Akewusola added.

While noting that the failure of most building designs lies in the inability of artisans to correctly translate building plans or designs into reality, he averred that “artisans are very important in achieving the goals of building safe and sustainable homes, hence, Lagos government is set for active involvement in their capacity building”.

He also called for improved collaboration with all professional associations in the built sector for a speedy actualisation of the transformation agenda of the State Government in the housing sector, maintaining that the building of a Greater Lagos of our dream is a joint responsibility of all.

The Permanent Secretary pointed out that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation will improve with the enhanced capacity of the artisans, noting that upgrading and retooling of artisans would make them more marketable in the global labour market.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Building, Mr. Sunday Wusu, expressed the association’s interest in supporting the State government to develop contents and modules that would result in enhancing the capabilities of masons, tilers, painters and aluminum fabricators, who will, in the long run, add value to the deliverables in the housing sector.

Wusu further averred that safety and quality of homes can only be assured when the artisans are well-grounded in their various areas of specialisation.

A former Chairperson of the Chapter, Mrs. Adenike Said also appealed for the placement of some of the association’s trainees on the ongoing projects of the State so that they can acquire appropriate site experience to boost their understanding of the practice.

The Chairman of NIOB, Mr. Sunday Wusu was accompanied on the visit by other members of the professional association including Professor Martins Dada and Mrs. Adenike Said, a past Chairperson of the Lagos State Chapter of the association.