The Nigerian government has approved the establishment of six centers for the training of welders to international standards. The centers will be located in each of the country’s six geopolitical zones.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Chief Uche Nnaji, during a media briefing on the readiness for the implementation of the Presidential Executive Order No.5.
Nnaji said Nigerian welders have been losing out on job opportunities and good money within the country due to their lack of ISO certification.
“When Dangote was building his refinery, the welders that were used all came from either India or Pakistan or any other countries because we don’t have ISO certified welders,” he said.
“So we are losing those incomes and jobs. The same thing applies to the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline that they are laying across the country from Kano, through Ajaokuta.
“Those pipelines, all the welders, none is a Nigerian. A job as good as welding and they are making good money because we don’t have ISO certified welders. So that is why in the wisdom of our President, he has asked that we do everything in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda to make sure that those centres are established so that our people will get certification, get the training needed and certification from international bodies to upgrade them to international standards.”
The minister said that the centers will be established in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Welding.
e the centers are established, Nigerian welders will be able to get the training and certification they need to compete for jobs on major projects in Nigeria and around the world.
