About 23 Panteka Artisans who acquired National Skills Qualification (Level 3) through Recognition of Prior Learning at the Centre for Technology Development at Kaduna Polytechnic have graduated in the state.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony recently, the Rector of Kaduna Polytechnic, Dr. Suleiman Umar said the Polytechnic offered to train 70 artisans to acquire the NSQ Level 3 Qualification in their respective trades as a corporate social responsibility, at no cost to the artisans or the Panteka Association in 2021.
This according to him, is after resolving to key into the National Skills Qualification Framework that was approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria and coordinated by the National Board for Technical Education.
He explained further that the artisans were trained in the seven trades; ten each in Masonry, Plumbing Installations, Carpentry and Joinery, Welding and Fabrication,.
Others are Painting, Tiling and Decorative Stonework and Electrical Installations, Plumbing installation recorded the highest number of graduates with 9 out of 10 graduated.
On the other hand, none of the artisans in welding and fabrication was able to graduate.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Bugaje, has called for the creation of National Skills Development Fund (NSDF) to support the informal skills sector in the country.
According to him, the government needs to support and fund such sectors that have the potential of reinvent the nation economy.
“We call on the Federal Government to create a funding agency to support Panteka and other informal skills sectors that have the potential to reinvent our nation and sustain a good future for the youths of this country, creating wealth and employment, and most importantly self-reliance in technology.
“Trader money’ and other political interventions have little sustainable impact. Let’s instead channel those funds to a National Skills Development Fund (NSDF) to be created to support the informal skills sector,” Professor Bugaje said.
He said Nigeria once a British colony, can in return colonize Europe through export of skilled labour and take over the European economy like the Indians.
He however said that, the States and Federal Governments have to support the informal skill sector to achieve the said objective and
to reinvent Nigeria, sustain a good future for the youths of the country, creating wealth and employment, and most importantly self-reliance in technology.
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