JUST IN: FG PLANS TRAINING, ISO CERTIFICATION FOR WELDERS

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Agency Report

According to Mr. Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Nigerian welders require accreditation from the International Organisation for Standardization and training to increase the number of workers needed for socioeconomic growth.

Nnaji gave a speech on Thursday in Abuja during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for vocational skills certification between the National Centre for Technology Management, academics, the commercial sector, and industry participants.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, in order to receive ISO certification, a manufacturing process, documentation method, service, or management system must meet all standards for quality assurance and standardization.

The minister announced that in order to train welders and provide them with ISO certificates, the Federal Government would establish training hubs in each of the nation’s six geographic zones through the Nigeria Welding Institute.

He lamented the absence of skilled craftspeople and labour in the nation.

Nnaji gave everyone the assurance that Nigerian welders will be better equipped to find lucrative and respectable jobs both inside and outside the nation with the ISO certification.

“NACETEM has kick-started the magic by collaborating with the Federal University of Technology, Minna, the private sector, and industry players to develop skills that deal with technology,’’ he said.

The minister stated that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by NACETEM, academia, and the commercial sector was a significant achievement that would expedite the recruitment of proficient and technologically inclined Nigerians.

Dr. Olushola Odusanya, the Director General of NACETEM, had earlier stated that although degree certificates were provided by Nigerian institutions, the agency’s purpose included skills development and certification.

The collaboration between Commit Technology, Nero Logistics, the Federal University of Technology, Minna, and postgraduate studies would support ICT certification, vocational training, and postgraduate studies in Nigeria, he said.

“NACETEM has designed a finishing school to train middle- and high-level manpower. In realisation of our mandate in the job market, 70 per cent of employed individuals are professionally trained.

“We are addressing the potential challenge of a shift from training physical manpower to other systems,’’ Odusanya said.

The NACETEM DG also disclosed the commencement of novel programmes such as a Master’s Programme in Nanotechnology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Technology Management.

“We had one before, but it was not done within the ambit of the law, so we are correcting that,’’ he added.

Odusanya said that efforts were underway to set up a Master’s Degree in Digital Marketing and a new linguistic project, all of which would be domiciled in FUTMinna.

He also spoke about setting up a digital blood donor bank with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research.

He further noted that such a move would help identify who the blood donors were, and in cases where there were issues of need, the database would be readily employed.

Odusanya hinted that the aforementioned efforts were in preparation and prelude to the NACETEM Academy.

(NAN)