From the bustling city of Lagos to other parts of the country, the presence of hardworking artisans and craftsmen from Togo, Ghana and Benin Republic is unmistakable as they have become an integral part of the Nigerian economy, providing valuable skills and services that help to drive the country’s growth. They are an invaluable resource for the Nigerian economy, helping to create jobs and generate income for themselves and their families, WALIAT MUSA writes.

Over the years, Nigeria has seen a significant influx of migrants from Togo, Ghana, and Benin Republic, who have contributed significantly to the Nigerian economy. These migrants are mostly artisans and craftsmen who have brought their skills, talent, and creativity to Nigeria.

The contributions of these migrants to the economy cannot be overemphasised as they have added value to the Nigerian economy by creating jobs, increasing productivity, and boosting the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). These migrants are involved in a wide range of economic activities such as construction, carpentry, blacksmithing, tailoring, and other trades that contribute to the development of the country.

This trend is so well established that even the Lagos State government in 2016 instituted a training and mentorship initiative to enhance the capacity of the dwindling tribe of indigenous craftsmen and artisans in the state, to fill the gap in the dearth of well-trained artisans as developers were resorting to importing artisans from neighbouring countries.

In all areas of housing projects across the state, you can find these ready hand ‘expatriates’, especially in areas such as masonry, furniture and carpentry, plumbing and pipe fitting, tiling, electrical installation and maintenance, and painting and decoration.

Despite the impressive turnout of youths for the skills training, it is a tall order to keep the trainees engaged in the crafts work. The governor, Babajide Sawo-Olu, is however committed to growing the capacity of indigenous artisans and also networking them to potential markets. According to him, the objective of the training scheme is to bridge the over 15,000 skill gaps in the built sector and ultimately stimulate the provision of sustainable, decent and affordable housing projects for the state.

Sadly, many of the productive unskilled hands that could have been engaged in the void being filled by the skilled ‘expatriates’, especially in the grassroots, seem to have abandoned their daily works for politics, sports betting and motorcycle/okada riding.

A chief instructor in the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), Mr. Jamiu Adewale, told The Guardian: “Go round the Southwest states these days, men have left the work places for women. Our men have embraced politics as a career and they have abandoned their workshops for political meetings. Everyone wants to be councilor or chairman. Tailors no longer sew, barbershops are now meeting points for members of political parties.

“Before now, when you drive round the villages and towns, you would see good produce to buy by the roadsides at cheaper rates, but these days, it is even cheaper for me to buy such stuffs in Lagos market than those villages. And when you ask where the oranges or plantain you buy in Lagos are from, they are not from Ondo Ore anymore but from Cotonou or Togo. Our artisans are no longer available.”

Also speaking recently to why artisans from neighbouring countries are flooding Nigeria, Executive Secretary of LASTVEB, Mrs. Moronke Azeez, lamented the state of technical education in the country.

“It is because we have neglected technical and vocational skills in our own country. So, because we neglected it, we had very poor skills. We started building and maintaining (infrastructures), but we had not prepared ourselves for that future of construction. So, employers had to go outside to look for people to work for them. So, when people start complaining that we don’t have skills, yes, we don’t have skills, because we didn’t invest enough. We were investing in universities, now they are complaining. They (people), the government, the private sector didn’t invest, so the easiest option they could resort to is to say, ‘Let’s go to Benin (Republic), let’s get people to work for us.’

“Meanwhile, we have many people coming out of the university, they don’t want to go into the vocational route, they don’t want to do all those kinds of things. They also want to be wearing their jackets and tie but then, there are no jobs. So that is how we started having this huge skills gap in the country. This people need a certain requirement, a certain skill. We have realised this situation and we have started getting our act together, but you see, there is always an incubation period.

“You cannot train somebody to be very competent and highly skilled in one day or two days. So, at the moment, there are competent, skilled ones going into the market, but they are not as many as the demand. So, it means that the more we are training over time, then those competent ones will be available and we will not need to go bring foreigners to do the jobs.”

One of the striking characteristics of these migrants/foreigners is their hardworking nature. They are known for their diligence, commitment, and consistency in their respective trades, proven to be reliable and dependable, and they have earned the trust and respect of their Nigerian counterparts.

Despite facing numerous challenges such as discrimination, xenophobia, and exploitation, the migrants have continued to persevere, and many of them have gone on to establish successful businesses in Nigeria, thereby contributing to the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) becoming an integral part of the Nigerian business landscape.

Without a doubt, the contributions of these migrants have had a positive impact on the Nigerian economy. Their skills and expertise have helped to bridge the skills gap in several sectors of the economy, and they have played a significant role in the development of the country’s infrastructure.

From carpentry to tailoring, these artisans and craftsmen are highly skilled in their trades and are an integral part of the Nigerian economy. They are often the first to arrive in a new community, setting up shop in a bustling market or on a street corner. They provide a valuable service to the local population, creating furniture, clothing, and other goods that are not available elsewhere.

The presence of these foreign artisans has been a major boom to the Nigerian economy. They provide jobs to local people, generate revenue for the government, and help to stimulate economic growth in the country. They also bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience that is not available to the local population.

For example, many of the artisans and craftsmen from Togo, Ghana, and the Benin Republic are experts in traditional African art forms such as weaving and pottery. These art forms have been passed down from generation to generation, and the foreign artisans have helped to revive and sustain these traditions in Nigeria.

These artisans and craftsmen are also contributing to the development of new industries in Nigeria. Many of the migrants from Togo, Ghana, and Benin Republic have opened small businesses in the country, such as restaurants, shops, and other services. These businesses are providing employment opportunities to local people and helping to divers.

It is not uncommon to hear of successful migrants who have left their home country to seek better opportunities elsewhere. One such example is a Ghanaian migrant, Olo Ogun who has been in Nigeria for over 40 years and has made a significant contribution to the country’s economy.

Ogun told The Guardian that he was once employed by Julius Berger, one of Nigeria’s largest construction companies, but now owns and runs his own construction business. He has employed various nationalities in his workforce, including Nigerians, Ghanaians, Togolese, and Beninese.

The impact of this migrant’s success on Nigeria’s economy is significant as his business provides employment to many locals, thereby reducing unemployment rates, and contributes to the country’s overall GDP.

This migrant’s story is emblematic of the power of the African diaspora and also a reminder of the potential for economic growth in the region, by providing employment opportunities for workers across multiple countries, he has helped to create a more interconnected and prosperous region.

His success is also a testament to the importance of international collaboration and cooperation. By employing workers from Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and Benin Republic, he has been able to build a strong team that is able to deliver quality results.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Nigeria Labour Force Survey Q4 2022 and Q1 2023, Underemployment rate which is a share of employed people working less than 40 hours per week and declaring themselves willing and available to work more was 13.7% in Q4 2022 and 12.2% in Q1 2023.

The report states that 13.4 per cent in Q4 2022 and 11.8 per cent in Q1 2023 of employed Nigerians were engaged as employees in their primary jobs while 10.7 per cent in Q4 2022 and 10.5 per cent in Q1 2023 of employed Nigerians were primarily engaged in helping in a business, receiving pay or profit indirectly even if it was not their own business while 2.6 per cent in Q4 2022 and 2.2 per cent in Q1 2023 of employed Nigerians were primarily engaged as apprentices or interns.

In another development, Adaze Asemote, who is a tiler from Benin Republic but works here in Nigeria said he has been in Nigeria since 2003 but he learnt the job in his home country, but came to Nigeria after two years of his graduation to train others in Nigeria.

He told The Guardian that his 14 apprentices are a combination of Nigerians, Ghanaians and Togolese. He noted that two years after his relocation to Nigeria, it was very difficult due to the language barrier at first as he was not that fluent in English Language.

“I have a lot of patronage because Nigerians believe in my work which is true because in my country, we always focus on the job when we are learning, there is no distraction from anywhere because we are always eager to succeed,” he said.

To corroborate this, Lawal Olaosebikan said he loves patronising these expatriates as they are good at what they do and their job is very cheap, compared to Nigerians who won’t even do the job well.

“The tillers here are very passionate about their work, they take pride in their work and are always willing to go the extra mile to ensure the job is done right, they are friendly and helpful, always willing to answer any questions, they are a great asset to the community,” he said.

The story of the Beninese tiler is one of resilience, determination and success which have been an instrument in contributing to Nigeria’s economy.

The Guardian findings revealed that lack of skilled manpower in the country to handle certain jobs and unwillingness to do certain jobs was the cause of the growing number of foreign workers in the country.

The Federal Government of Nigeria should come up with policies focused on providing enabling business environment, fair taxation policy and encourage the transaction of economic activities and investment which will enable expatriates invest their funds internally rather than remitting them to their places of origin, and as well aid the creation of new businesses which will improve the advancement of the Nigeria economy.

According to Statista, In 2020, Nigeria has 1.3 million international migrants,  In 1990, about half a million of the total country’s inhabitants were migrants, in 2021, the migration rate in Nigeria was estimated to reach -0.16 per 1,000 populations in 2050 which means the number of people leaving Nigeria will still be slightly higher than those entering the country.