This year marks the official pilot of Nigeria’s National Artisan Skills Acquisition Programme (NASAP), a transformative initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. The six-month training cycle aims to equip 3,000 aspiring artisans with practical, market-ready skills across ten in-demand construction trades. By professionalizing workmanship, closing the skilled-labor gap, and bolstering housing standards, the programme seeks to create lasting impact. Unveiled at the 6th National Council on Skills meeting presided over by the Vice President, NASAP has quickly become a cornerstone of the government’s strategy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Bridging the Construction Skills Divide

The architect of this initiative, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, emphasized the alarming state of skilled labor within Nigeria’s housing sector. He noted that poor workmanship, prevalent in both private and public projects, frequently compromises building durability and undermines structural integrity. In response, NASAP goes beyond standard vocational training; it aims to professionalize artisans and restore quality and confidence in construction outputs nationwide.

At the unveiling, the Vice President lauded NASAP as “timely and visionary,” asserting that if implemented effectively, it could decisively tackle Nigeria’s perennial construction skills shortage. He further underscored the urgency of developing a robust artisan workforce capable of supporting a rapidly evolving economy.

Three-Phase Rollout: From Pilot to Centres of Excellence

NASAP will unfold in three strategic phases:

1. 2025 Pilot – Intensive training for 3,000 artisans in three pilot states (yet to be named).

2. 2026 Rollout – Extension to all states, encompassing a nationwide cohort.

3. 2027 Expansion – Launch of Regional Centres of Excellence to sustain and upscale training .

This phased structure allows for careful calibration and capacity development, ensuring quality control and strongest outcomes before nationwide deployment.

Practical, Rigorous Training Design

The six-month cadet experience combines:

• Classroom theory – Foundational construction knowledge

• Hands-on workshops – Real-world craft applications

• Mentorship – Guidance from seasoned artisans

• On-site exposure – Immersion in active construction workplaces

Participants will train in ten vital trades:

• Bricklaying & Masonry

• Plumbing & Pipefitting

• Electrical Installations

• Carpentry & Woodwork

• Painting & Decorative Finishes

• Welding & Fabrication

• Tiling & Floor Finishing

• Plaster of Paris (POP) & Screeding

• Upholstery & Furniture Craft

• Air Conditioning & Refrigeration

These skilled trades meet growing demand within Nigeria’s housing and infrastructure sectors, addressing chronic labor shortages.

Craft-Hub: Nigeria’s “Uber for Artisans”

A key innovation is Craft-Hub, a digital platform profiling certified artisans. Think ride-hailing meets talent marketplace: users can search and book qualified tradesmen based on location, specialty, ratings, and experience. The platform boosts transparency, simplifies contractor sourcing, enhances earnings, and rebuilds trust in technical workmanship.

Infrastructure and Capacity Expansion

Training venues include existing Building Craft Training Schools in Kuje and Yaba, Abuja. To broaden reach, new centres will open in Imo and Yobe States. Concurrently, a national audit of training facilities—prompted by the Council—is underway to catalog physical assets, evaluate operations, and reduce redundancies. This ensures training infrastructures meet occupational standards and national certification criteria.

Funding and Partnerships

NASAP is built on a Public–Private Partnership model, initially funded by the Ministry, with co-investment from:

• The World Bank

• African Development Bank

• UNDP

• German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)

• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

• ESG-aligned private investors

This diverse funding palette aims to guarantee sustainability, expand impact, and reduce sole dependency on government budgets.

Certification and Standards Alignment

The National Council on Skills recommended close collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to ensure NASAP’s curriculum aligns with national certification frameworks. Moreover, ongoing skills audits will enforce the Nigeria Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), ensuring credibility and alignment with national occupational standards .

Complementary Initiatives

NASAP complements broader efforts to reform artisan training, including:

• The National Skills Infrastructure Audit, to strengthen coordination across MDAs.

• Collaboration between the Housing Ministry and ARCON (Architects Registration Council of Nigeria) to support school-based training and grassroots engagement.

• Historical investments by the Industrial Training Fund’s Skill Up Artisan (SUPA) programme, which targets 5 million youths through 20 trades.

Such synergy enhances national efforts toward vocational excellence and boosts employability for youth.

Implications for Nigeria

The ripple effects of NASAP span several important areas:

• Housing Quality – Skilled artisans reduce defective constructions, improving long-term sustainability.

• Economic Diversification – Formalizing the artisan sector integrates new tax and revenue streams.

• Employment Generation – Trained youths find immediate job opportunities or launch micro-enterprises.

• Industrial Growth – A steady supply of talent supports infrastructure and manufacturing sectors.

• Trust in Services – Digital visibility through Craft-Hub empowers quality assurance and enhanced customer confidence.

Vice President Shettima reinforced that concerted action and stakeholder consensus remain vital to closing the skills gap.

Early Critiques and Challenges Ahead

Critics and experts highlight some pivotal concerns:

• Centre Availability: Phase-two’s nationwide rollout hinges on establishing adequate training facilities.

• Quality Assurance: Maintaining rigorous standards across all artisan cohorts is essential.

• Employer Buy-In: For public contractors and private developers to recognize certifications, demand must be cultivated.

• PPP Balance: Ensuring public interests and fair conditions amid private investment remains key.

Successful coordination with federal and state bodies, private sector, and development institutions will determine NASAP’s true legacy.

Conclusion

NASAP represents a strategic and bold step toward transforming Nigeria’s construction sector. By combining immersive skill development, digital profiling, and coordinated infrastructure upgrades, it aims to professionalize artisanship at scale. From its pilot focus on 3,000 skilled workers in ten essential trades to planned Centers of Excellence, the programme sets a new standard in vocational training.

If implemented with fidelity—backed by strong partnerships and quality-driven frameworks—NASAP has the potential to revolutionize housing construction, reduce unemployment, and restore confidence in technical workmanship. With foundational support from the Ministry and allied agencies, it signals a new dawn for Nigeria’s skilled-labor economy.

As training locations and timelines materialize, early evaluation of trainee outcomes, job matching, and regional deployment will shape public perception and policy direction.

Nigeria stands at the threshold of structural change. NASAP offers a roadmap—not merely for professional artisans, but for the reinforcement of national infrastructure, economic growth, and social cohesion.