The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has announced plans to integrate youth empowerment initiatives into its 2026 budget through the promotion of the National Artisans Skills Acquisition Programme.
This was as the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Rt Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling unemployment by equipping young Nigerians with practical skills in the housing and construction sectors.
Ata made the commitment when he received a delegation from the University of Uyo Centre for Skills Acquisition and Rural Development, led by its Director, Ambassador Ernest Essien.
In a statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Badamasi Haiba, the ministry said the initiative is designed to train and create sustainable job opportunities for Nigerian youths across the country.
He assured that the ministry would continue to partner with relevant institutions to empower youths and strengthen the nation’s workforce through technical and vocational training.
Ata told the delegation that the Ministry is willing to partner with the centre to train and equip Nigerians with skills and resources to bridge the labour gap in the country.
“We are going to continue to interact with you so that we can work on areas of common ground. The Ministry will assist you as we factor your needs into our 2026 budget so that we can provide all the necessary assistance and support to carry out this project,” he said.
He also commended the Centre for their comprehensive skills development and acquisition programmes, which he said were in alignment with the Ministry’s NASAP programme, aimed at bridging skilled persons in the labour market.
In his remarks, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Shuaib Belgore, said the Centre’s youth skills and development programmes align with the Ministry’s NASAP initiative in facilitating and achieving the mandate of providing mass and affordable housing and infrastructural development, stressing that both parties will find a common ground to work together.
Earlier, the Director of the Centre, who led the delegation, Amb. Ernest Essien told the Minister that their visit was to seek partnership with the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development on skill acquisition and job creation in Nigeria and, in particular, Akwa Ibom State.
He commended the Federal Government and the Ministry for boosting job creation by training Nigerians from all walks of life on various skills and providing support to compete in the labour market.
The Director noted that the Ministry’s mandate was to provide mass housing to citizens and build infrastructure across the country, a feat he reckons will require huge skilled manpower to carry out this task.
He said, “The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is focusing on housing and infrastructural expansion and needs a skilled and reliable workforce for its national projects, and that is where we are coming in.
“We are proposing to come in to create that skilled workforce through tertiary artisan students. This is to ensure that graduates are certified and ready to contribute to the Ministry’s goal.
He added, “We appreciate and commend the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for initiating the training and digital certification and integration of ten thousand construction artisans annually with jobs over a three-year period.”
