The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to training and creating job opportunities for Nigerian youths through the National Artisans Skills Acquisition Programme (NASAP).
Speaking while receiving a delegation from the University of Uyo Centre for Skills Acquisition and Rural Development, led by its Director, Ambassador Ernest Essien, the Minister expressed the Ministry’s willingness to collaborate with the Centre to bridge the labour gap across the country by equipping Nigerians with essential vocational skills.
“We will continue to engage with your Centre to identify common areas for collaboration. The Ministry is ready to support you and will incorporate your needs into the 2026 budget to ensure adequate assistance for this initiative,” Ata stated.
He also commended the Centre for its comprehensive skills development and acquisition programmes, noting that its objectives align closely with the Ministry’s NASAP, which is designed to increase the number of skilled workers in the country’s labour market.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, emphasized that the Centre’s youth-oriented programmes are in line with NASAP’s goals of facilitating mass and affordable housing delivery and infrastructure development. He noted that both institutions would work together to find common ground in pursuit of national development.
Earlier, the Director of the Centre, Ambassador Ernest Essien, said the visit was to seek a strategic partnership with the Ministry in driving skill acquisition and job creation efforts, particularly in Akwa Ibom State and across Nigeria.
He praised the Federal Government for its ongoing efforts to empower Nigerians with skills and provide them with the tools to compete effectively in the labour market.
“The Ministry’s mandate to deliver mass housing and infrastructure nationwide requires a large pool of skilled labour. That’s where we come in—to provide a reliable and certified workforce through our tertiary artisan training programme,” Essien said.
He further commended the Ministry for initiating the plan to train, certify, and digitally integrate 10,000 construction artisans annually over a three-year period, noting that such initiatives are vital for national development.
PR: Adamu Yusuf
