FG to Conduct Nationwide Audit of Skills Centres to Bridge Gap

The Federal Government has announced plans to conduct a nationwide audit of skills training centres across the various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to align their work and functions with national development goals.

This move aims to bridge Nigeria’s widening skills gap and develop a strategic workforce capable of meeting the country’s evolving economic demands.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who spoke on Thursday during the 6th meeting of the National Council on Skills (NCS) at the Presidential Villa, noted the need for immediate and united action to close the skills gap, describing it as a national priority critical to economic transformation.

“What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us. We have to make this country work. We need to fill in the skills gap,” Shettima said.

According to him, the proposed audit will involve a physical verification of centres and a detailed cataloguing of operational training facilities to ensure alignment with national occupational standards and labour market needs.

“Unless the skills infrastructure across MDAs is optimised, this vision will remain unattainable.”

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa, made a presentation on the National Artisan Skills Acquisition Programme (NASAP), an initiative aimed at training 10,000 artisans annually in high-demand construction trades.

“The overall goal of NASAP is to establish a reliable and competent artisan workforce to drive the Ministry’s housing and infrastructure agenda while empowering Nigeria’s youth with employable skills,” he said.

The programme seeks to tackle youth unemployment while addressing the skilled labour shortage in the construction sector, with a projected significant impact on job creation and long-term infrastructure development.