Skilled workforce: Construction sites fallow as reverse migration, devaluation hit real estate

Skilled manpower shortage is increasingly hurting the country’s construction sector. With most young people undergoing vocational and technical education seeing no future in working as artisans in the construction industry, the departure of aging artisans and the absence of agile replacements are leaving the sector with a fait accompli. The lacuna is further widened by the reverse migration embarked upon by foreign artisans in the wake of the naira losing its value. With the prospect of a full-blown crisis looming, there is a compelling need for the government to urgently audit the country’s skill development needs, catalogue skill types, address the skills gap, and promote the development of a highly skilled workforce to save the sector, VICTOR GBONEGUN reports.

Mubarak Shehu, a building and civil engineering contractor used to have a highly skilled mason from Cotonou, Benin Republic, popularly called Agbodjogbe Alafia. Alafia had in his “employ”, 12 other foreign artisans who worked with him on construction sites in Lagos, Edo, Abuja, and Oyo states.

For these artisans, it was a privilege to work in Nigeria as they were the envy of friends, colleagues, and families back home in Cotonou every December when they showcased large sums of money earned from working in Nigeria.

After merrymaking and showing off their wealth, they usually returned to Nigeria in mid-February of the New Year with new faces, especially young men seeking greener pastures.

The trip to Nigeria for greener pastures has, thus far, been suspended as they now stay back in their country to practice their trade due to an improvement in their currency as against soaring inflation, and the depreciating value of the naira, which has also left local contractors stranded.

With this strange scenario constituting the new normal in the country’s construction industry, the era of foreign artisans’ proliferation in the country is fading away, and contractors’ hopes now rest on a band of aging skilled artisans, who are without apprentices.

For instance, when Mr Agba, a plumber based in the Ojodu-Berger axis of Lagos State set out as a professional plumber 10 years ago, he had five apprentices actively learning the trade under him. But in the past five years, he hardly boasts of one artisan undergoing tutelage.

Sharing his experience with The Guardian, Agba lamented that young persons are not ready to undergo any artisanal training anymore, adding that many of the young people are pursuing new endeavours that give them immediate breakthroughs and huge sums of money.

“It is not only plumbing work, even bricklayers and carpenters are becoming scarce. Youths are heading where they will get millions of naira and are not willing to learn plumbing, which gives a little money on a gradual basis.

“I’m worried that the few people, who are still doing this work may be charging exorbitant fees for services soon because there will be a scarcity of plumbers, especially highly-skilled ones that people need their services in their homes.

“Unfortunately, many of the plumbers in town today are accidental plumbers, who are forced into the trade to make quick money; they lack capacity and are not committed to learning. They are the type that renders shoddy services to customers, yet collect money and disappear,” he said.

Statistics show that Nigeria needs to train at least one million artisans per year to mitigate the shortfall, address youth unemployment at rural and urban locations, and halt the drift, as construction activities go on in the nooks and crannies of the country.

Historically, the dearth of artisans in the construction industry can be traced to structural failure in the nation’s educational system. Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) used to play a vital role in equipping youths with the essential skills needed to thrive and succeed in the past.

Nigeria is witnessing a decline in technical and vocational education, as enrolment into the programmes has witnessed a negative trend in the past decade with figures revealing a less than seven per cent enrolment quota within years.

Since the first Republic, Nigeria had a system that produced artisans, tradesmen, technicians, and technologists through craft centres, technical schools, colleges of technology, polytechnics, and universities, which trained the manpower needed for construction activities.

Unfortunately, when the nation adopted the 6-3-3-4 education system, the technical route, which is from craft schools or trade centres to technical schools and polytechnics, lost its potential for producing skilled artisans.

Regrettably, the technical school collapsed into secondary school and everybody then enrolled in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) 1 to 3. The system felt that at JSS 3, those who were not academically inclined head to technical schools for their Senior Secondary School (SSS) 1 to 3.

Sadly, the technical section of the secondary school that the 6-3-3-4 system brought up could not produce artisans.

With over 167 technical colleges nationwide, enrolment is abysmally low and below capacity. The few, who are enlisted, are not seen on the streets or construction sites practicing what they trained for after graduation. Some prefer to further their education in universities while others pursue something different.

The negative social perception of vocational training school graduates looms large as products such as bricklayers, plumbers, and carpenters are considered low-level jobs for uneducated people in Nigeria.

Many parents also see vocational and technical colleges as inferior to conventional secondary schools and do not want their wards to attend such institutions, hence, the implications on national manpower development and scarcity of artisans.

A technical college teacher, Mrs. Abolore Abioye, agrees that said enrolment in the humanities, management, and accounting courses is now soaring, while the number of students that are showing interest in skilled labour is dwindling because many prefer the banking sector and other professions, which are considered more lucrative.

She painted a classic picture thus: “In the building course for technical colleges, the highest enrolment is about 55 to 60 students in a class, whereas in similar management, and accounting classes, the number of students per class for each of the courses is about 500 students.”

The construction sector is experiencing a chronic shortage of skilled personnel at both the low and middle levels, especially, in critical areas such as plumbing, bricklaying, masonry, painting and decoration, tiling, electrical installation, carpentry/joinery, welding, scaffolding, and steel formwork.

Away from the construction sector challenge, Nigeria is faced with dire infrastructure challenges and the inability of artisans in the country to meet industry demands makes the situation double jeopardy.

Matters are made worse by the fact that institutions lack adequate qualified teachers, and instructors, funding by the government is grossly abysmal, and modern equipment for effective learning rarity.

Currency devaluation, low interest in artisanship, other deepening challenge
BEFORE now, aforestated fields attracted a huge number of youths learning the skills. But now, they have become a shadow of themselves. No thanks to low wages, as well as the growing number of retired and old artisans. This reality now constitutes a burden to the sector.

At N1: 0.37 West African CFA franc, the Nigerian market has lost its attractiveness to foreign artisans from neighbouring countries who hitherto preferred the Nigerian Naira because of its relatively stronger value when exchanged to their local currency.

The Guardian learnt that most young people undergoing vocational and technical education don’t believe that there is a future in furthering as artisans and working in the construction industry, having been exposed to aging practitioners, who have nothing to show for their several years of practice.

Existing older artisans are retiring in large numbers with no one to take over from them. Despite the reality that youths constitute over 60 per cent of the Nigerian population, many of them are shying away from the construction industry due to the belief that the industry is too hectic. Rather, they prefer engaging in less rigorous ventures that are high-paying or travelling abroad in search of greener pastures.

Many existing trained artisans like plumbers, masons, and others are also abandoning the sector because of poor remuneration and taking to riding motorcycles and tricycles to earn a living.

Also, for obvious reasons, many of those trained in vocational training institutes are diverting to other fields of endeavours, thus the number of enrolments keeps dwindling.

Over the years, low interest in artisanship, apprenticeship, worsening capacity, and competency have also contributed their quota to the challenge.

In West African countries like Togo, Ghana, and the Republic of Benin, they have structured training for artisans according to their grades. Their artisanal workforce has also been developed leading to the hitherto export of personnel to countries like Nigeria.

Interestingly, many adjudged the manpower from those countries as being far better than those from Nigeria, hence many indigenous developers and contractors find it profitable to import them through the nation’s porous border illegally.

They are also engaged en masse and paid low fees for construction activities, whereas many artisans in Nigeria who went into skilled work do so by accident, thereby using artisanship to fill in the gap and put food on the table.

The mass reduction in the number of certified professionals/trained artisans, and the exodus of foreign ones who worked in the country’s construction sector back to their countries has become a source of worry to stakeholders, who warn that it poses a threat to the nation’s development.

This is more so because the culture of apprenticeship, which used to offer a practical solution to bridging the gap between theory and practical knowledge acquisition through special arrangements between the instructors and the learners, is also dying.

The training, which provides opportunities for people with valuable artisan skills to guarantee future livelihoods, has also been challenged by advancements in technology.

Across the country, there is manifest concern regarding the declining volume of artisans. In the five states of South-East Nigeria, there has been a decrease in apprenticeship practice and artisanal products for construction activities.

The reality is the same for northern and southern Nigeria. This situation has further triggered worries that the construction industry may depend on the importation of foreign artisans to meet local demands if concrete measures are not implemented to develop the required skilled artisan workforce for the country.

Kano State-born journalist and founder of Daily Nigerian, an online publication, Jaafar Jaafar, in a tweet on his verified X handle @JaafarSJaafar, recalled: “In the past, Tuaregs and other migrants from the Niger Republic served as our domestic security guards, tea hawkers, and water-mongers, but the reverse is now the case. As the naira depreciates against the CFA franc, Nigerian artisans are now migrating to Niger in search of jobs.”

Another X user, who shares Jafaar’s views regarding the ironic economic tides, which has plunged the country’s fortunes, Idris Hamza Yana, tweeting via his handle, @Idrisyana said: “The other day a carpenter that works for me was telling me that he is planning to travel to Niger. I became curious and asked him why. He said he had many colleagues who are now in Niger and are sending decent money to their families in Nigeria, thanks to the naira depreciation.

Consequences of a shallow pool of skilled artisans dire
WHILE artisans are the cornerstones of projects across the construction sector (from commercial, small to large-scale housing production), the inadequacy of a skilled workforce has serious consequences ranging from limited quality construction, timely delivery of projects, and exacerbated building collapses across the country.

A former Senator who represented Kaduna State at the Senate, Shehu Sani, observed that most young persons in the North don’t want to undergo apprenticeship again.

Sani, a playwright and human rights activist observed that: “Most young ones don’t want to serve as apprentices in workshops or retail outlets because they don’t have the heart and patience to serve.”

Sadly, many state governments are not doing enough in training artisans and providing jobs for them after training, except in a few states like Lagos, Edo, and Ogun, which are considered thriving in that aspect.

For instance, in Lagos State, no fewer than 2,000 artisans have been trained and had their skills modernised and upgraded through the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment.

Also in Ogun State, the government is trying to encourage increased enrollment in TVET scholarships for 1, 000 girls across all government science and technical colleges.

Over the past four years, the Edo state government through its Skills Development Agency (EdoJobs), in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) Skills Development for Youth Employment (SKYE) launched the cash for work scheme for 225 artisans in the state.

Through the scheme, these young people were splintered into different trades, including welding, roofing, painting, tiling, plumbing, window installation site attendant, and others.

Speaking on the scheme, the Managing Director of Edo State Skill Development Agency, Mrs Ukinebo Dare, said the initiative was part of efforts to uptick skills development and jobs creation for the youths.

She said: “They are going to be working under certified master craftsmen and supervisors. They are going to be earning money every day that they are on the project site. It is a learning project; job placement, and apprenticeship.”

Notwithstanding these efforts by a few states, the training, enrolments, and post-training engagement are still very poor and the industry continues to suffer.

President of the Association of Building Artisans of Nigeria, Mr Jimmy Oshinubi, told The Guardian that the greatest challenge faced by existing and would-be artisans in the construction industry is the lack of motivation to work in the industry.

Oshinubi affirmed that state governments keep training artisans, but lamented that after training and award of certification to practice, governments never engage them in their construction projects.

According to him, the present older generations of artisans are not encouraged to work, while the younger ones don’t see the need to enlist in any artisans’ training.

Oshinubi lamented that most times the jobs that the government opts to give indigenous artisans are given out to foreigners like Beninois and Togolese and others because they want services at a cheaper rate.

He said: “These foreign artisans sometimes even do shabby jobs because they lack the basic knowledge of the country’s building industry. They are interested in making money.”

How crisis impacts construction sector
EXPERTS fear that once there is a boom in the construction sector, the nation may run into a huge problem because if the demand increases, the skills supply will become a major challenge.

The population of aging and retiring artisans has become more visible in the construction sector, which desperately needs agile, young, and highly skilled workers to fill jobs left open by the skilled, but retiring artisans.

Checks by The Guardian revealed that out of every five artisans in locations, at least three or four of them have become too old to carry on with the rigours associated with the job.

A developer/Chief Operating Officer, REFin Homes Limited, a property development firm, Mr Kazeem Owolabi, argued that the few artisans in the country are not happy doing the job, adding that the shortfall in artisans is causing poor developments and construction works.

He confirmed that most artisans that housing developers use are engaged from neighbouring countries based on cost efficiency, high technical quality of the artisans, their trustworthiness in the use of materials supplied for construction, and keeping to terms of agreements.

Owolabi lamented the degrading value that society now places on technical and vocational education and poor rewards for their services, whereas the products from these institutions are the ones to build our houses, fix broken doors, and other housing issues.

Owolabi added: “The society needs a reorientation and the artisans too don’t need to cast themselves down. Some of our local artisans will demand more money and their work is not as good as expected. Some of them will demand four materials, end up using two at the end, and help themselves with the remaining.”

Need for stakeholders’ intervention to mitigate crisis
THE National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) having been at the forefront of technical education has taken a bold step under the Federal Ministry of Education, with the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to establish the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), which has formalised the informal sector and bring it into par with the formal sector to certify both sectors at skill competency level.

The Federal Government has established the National Skills Council handled by the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) to certify and license people under the N-power programme.

Industry experts say if the model is well entrenched and supported on a massive scale, it will address the skilled manpower shortage and could take the country to a level whereby other nations will start looking for artisans and technicians from Nigeria to meet their demands.

The President of Sector Skills Council for Building in Nigeria (SSCBiN), Dr Samson Opaluwah, said that the key roles and responsibilities of the SSC for building as provided by the National Skills Qualification Framework approved by the Federal Executive Council include identifying skill development needs, and cataloging skill types, addressing the skills gap and promoting the development of a highly skilled workforce.

Opaluwah said the council plans to develop a comprehensive scheme to up-skill and train one million artisans over the next five years. The plan, which he said can be expanded with sponsorship, will map out ways to develop a national skills database for the building industry, facilitate the establishment and accreditation of training centres in key locations across the country, and implement a certification programme that is recognised by employers and industry stakeholders.

“The council will serve as a platform for collaboration among stakeholders in the sector, including government agencies, educational institutions, industry associations, employers of labour, manufacturers, professional bodies, regulators, and workers’ representatives.

“We will facilitate the development of industry-driven training programmes, certification standards, and accreditation mechanisms to ensure that our workforce is equipped with relevant up-to-date, and state-of-the-art skills,” he stated.

Opaluwah explained that the council is working in tandem with industry partners to establish job opportunities and mentorship initiatives, equipping young individuals with the essential skills, knowledge, and mindset required to thrive in the building industry and unlock their full potential.

Echoing the predominant sentiments, the President of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Nigeria Chapter, Mr Olalekan Akinwunmi, expressed concern that highly experienced artisans are becoming scarce while the younger ones are into quick money, expressing dismay that passion for the job is no longer there, while the few elderly ones are losing their strength and can’t do much again.

Akinwunmi said that the IFMA is partnering with technical colleges to encourage enrollees, not to see themselves as lesser persons, but as important people in society.

Akinwunmi emphasised that enrollment in technical colleges will continue to be low because the government is not paying enough attention to that area, rather more focus is shifted to the theory aspect.

According to him, the reward systems for artisans are poor, but fortunately, when they go abroad, the reward system is higher, adding that technical persons abroad charge per-hour wages.

For the immediate past Head of the Department of Building Technology, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Dr Adeshina Aladeloba, the decline witnessed can be linked to the society’s redefinition of virtues and values, as skill acquisition requires a rigorous process, adding that the situation has become so precarious to the extent that values of hard work are no longer treasured.

“People are hungry and want quick money and the truth of the matter is that the focus is different now. No more respect for hard work, commitment to serious professionalism and integrity,” he said.

He noted that the dichotomy between technical schools, university, and polytechnic degree awards also plays a role in contributing to the decline because any system that suppresses an individual to aspire to the highest height in life will always experience a decline.

“Artisans’ shortage implies that the nation may continue to have half-baked professionals and buildings may continue to collapse…,” Aladeloba said.

On what the government is doing, the Director General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Dr Afiz Ogun Oluwatoyin, said that the Bola Tinubu administration is poised to transform the condition of artisans and practice of artisanry across trades.

He said the fund has registered 522,778 artisans under its Skill-Up Artisan (SUPA) programme, explaining that the artisans were registered under 20 trade areas and out of which 319,467 are male and 203,309, female.

Trade areas of artisans’ training are plumbing and pipe fitting, masonry, painting and decoration, tiling, electrical installation, welding and fabrication, carpentry and joinery, iron steel reinforcement, scaffolding and roofing, and plaster of Paris, among others.

Oluwatoyin said Plateau State has the highest registration, with 53, 133, representing 10.17 per cent of all registered artisans, followed by Kano with 43, 239 registered artisans, representing 8.27 per cent of total registration.

He added: “By geopolitical zones, the North-West has the highest registration with 141,378, representing 27.04 per cent of all registration, followed by the North Central with 137,761, representing 26.35 per cent of total registration.

The South-South has the least registered artisans with just 35,544 representing just 6.79 per cent of total registration.”