Education ministry mulls certification of artisanal skills

The federal ministry of education says there are plans to begin the certification of skills to make artisans employable in formal organisations.

Yusuf Sununu, the minister of state for education, said the ministry is reviewing policies to make skills acquisition attractive to the youths.

Sununu spoke in Abuja while receiving a delegation from the Ladi Memorial Foundation (LMF) in his office.

The minister said the goal is to make formal employment accessible to individuals who are skilled in such areas as tailoring.

“Government is thinking out of the box on how to encourage young people into skills acquisition as a means of expanding small businesses and creating jobs,” he said.

The minister promised to partner with the LMF on a proposed national sewing championship (NSC) for young people in Nigeria from ages 12 to 22 years.

Sununu applauded LMF’s efforts in the success of the pilot scheme of the federal capital territory (FCT) sewing championship in 2023 which attracted over 1200 youths.

“I must commend your efforts in trying to harvest talent and catch them young. Gone are the days when people looked at tailoring as not a money-making venture,” he said.

“We do know that right now, especially among the females, the cost of sewing is higher than the fabric because you can get a cheap fabric but if you have a good designer, putting that fabric together becomes expensive.”

He said the ministry will work with LMF to ensure the success of the 2024 national sewing championship.

The minister called on youths across the country to be part of the sewing event.

Registration to the NSC 2024, he added, will commence in March and close in July 2024.