By Emmanuella Anokam
Abuja – The Construction Skills Training and Development Project (C-STEmp), has called on the Federal Government to embark on massive infrastructural projects to boost job creation in the country.
Mr Samson Opaluwah, Chairman, C-STEmp 2019 Construction Artisans Awards Technical Committee, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja, at the closing ceremony of the Artisans Award and Job Skills Expo, organised by C-STEmp.
According to him, infrastructural development, in the form of intensive labour projects by the government would create job opportunities for artisans and youths in the country.
“The government should open doors for our indigenous manpower to manage and gain employment through massive infrastructural projects.
“Investment in public infrastructural development should remain key interventions by the government.
“Where the artisans are not experienced enough, they should be given opportunity to learn so that they can take charge of infrastructural management in the country.
“No foreigner will come and develop our country for us on a sustainable basis, it is only we that have interest in the country will develop it,” he said.
He said that the government should also take the construction artisans to the next level, in readiness to compete on the global platform and attain self- sufficiency in the construction industry.
However, he commended the government for the N-Power programme, adding that it has boosted employment, expertise and supported nation building by developing the skills of artisans.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that C-STEmp in its bid to promote creativity, innovation and craftsmanship, conceived the Construction Artisans Awards as a strategy to generate interest in the trades.
Mr Lawrence Gabriel, Programme Manager, C-STEmp noted that skills competitions among the artisans in the trades were carried out in the state, regional, then the national level.
” Artisans from the trades from each zone including FCT were selected for the grand finale,” he said.
He said that the skills competition and award aimed at showcasing the knowledge, skills and experience the artisans have acquired over the years in order to be celebrated by employers, friends and families.
This he said would equally afford employers who wished to improve their performance the opportunity to identify and engage the best.
NAN reports that the high point of the event, was handing over of N1.5 million to Mr Ahmed Yusuf, electrical set category artisan from North Central for best performance, while N500, 000 was given to the overall female best Mrs Idris Selina. (NAN)