Experts in the artisanal industry have called for greater government investment in technological training and modern equipment for artisans, warning that without urgent intervention, the country risks falling behind international production standards, limiting its export potential. 

The call was made on Thursday during the Abuja artisans and technicians conference titled “Bridging the Artisan Gap: Professionalising and Standardising the Informal Sector for Economic Growth”, which was held at the Old Parade Ground, Garki.

Speakers at the conference emphasised the need to integrate modern technology into vocational practices in Nigeria, noting that improved tools and technical capacity would enhance productivity and drive economic growth.

Dr Metuah Emmanuel, director of planning, strategy, and coordination at the Equipment Leasing Registration Authority, said the adoption of modern equipment was critical for artisans seeking to remain competitive.

He said, “Many artisans in Nigeria today are still using menial ways to do their work. A job that should cost them about 20 minutes to do is being done for two hours. If you go to a typical local workshop where we have more of our artisans, you see them hammering things, dragging things, and all that.

“But if you reconcile that with the workshops that we have in other climes, you discover that in five minutes, the whole vehicle is loose. The only thing that is different is the equipment. And that equipment can be obtained by these artisans without them having to pay up front.”

Also, Dr Wunmi Hassan, chief executive of Hitech Centre for Women and Youth, urged the government to prioritise sustainable funding and local solutions. 

She noted that, “There are lots of opportunities and skills that these artisans have, and one of the ways that the government can help assist them is to make our projects that will solve local problems and then bring artisans to explore and make it happen.”

Ms Hassan urged the government to fund local artisans, most of whom cannot afford to purchase expensive modern equipment.

Meanwhile, the FCT artisans coordinator, Bamidele Ojo, said Nigeria has a large artisan workforce but continues to face challenges, which include inadequate certification systems and weak collaboration with government institutions.

“We have almost 120 million artisans in our database. There’s a lot of gap between the government and the artisans. That is why we came to this programme, so that we can be able to leverage the relationship between the government and the private sector to help artisans fill that gap,” he said.

He also urged the government to institutionalise proper certification of artisans across the country, adding that “no certification can qualify anybody in Nigeria today as an artisan. And that is what we are fighting for.”

“One of the major challenges we are facing is the professionalisation and standardisation of artisanship. There should be government certification. So that if they mention somebody’s name, they would know where the person is coming from,” Mr Ojo said.

Also speaking, Abdul Balarabe, chief executive officer of Century, highlighted ongoing efforts to support artisans through financing, training, and capacity-building initiatives to improve professionalism and service delivery.

“I have created a platform for artisans to be able to get themselves exposed technologically. We have created a marketplace for them to showcase their works and have access to the international global standards of practise,” Mr Balarabe said.