The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has announced plans to include youth empowerment initiatives in its 2026 budget through the expansion of the National Artisans Skills Acquisition Programme (NASAP), a move aimed at equipping young Nigerians with practical skills and reducing unemployment in the housing and construction sectors.
The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, made this known while receiving a delegation from the University of Uyo Centre for Skills Acquisition and Rural Development, led by its Director, Ambassador Ernest Essien.
According to a statement by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Badamasi Haiba, the initiative will provide technical and vocational training for youths nationwide, creating sustainable job opportunities and supporting the development of skilled manpower for Nigeria’s growing housing and infrastructure needs.
Ata reaffirmed the government’s commitment to empowering young people and strengthening the nation’s workforce, noting that the Ministry will continue to partner with relevant institutions to advance technical capacity in the construction industry. “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 commended the University of Uyo Centre for its commitment to comprehensive skills development, adding that its efforts align with NASAP’s objectives of bridging the skills gap in the construction sector.
The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Shuaib Belgore, also highlighted the synergy between the Centre’s youth development programmes and NASAP’s broader mandate of delivering mass housing and infrastructural projects. He noted that collaboration would enhance the Ministry’s capacity to achieve its development goals while empowering Nigeria’s youth.
Earlier, the Director of the Centre, Ambassador Ernest Essien, said the visit was to seek a strategic partnership with the Ministry to promote skill acquisition and job creation, particularly in Akwa Ibom State. He commended the Federal Government’s continued efforts in training Nigerians across various trades and providing certification to help them compete effectively in the labour market.
Essien emphasized the importance of developing a skilled and reliable workforce to support the Ministry’s mass housing and infrastructure projects. “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,” he said.
He added that the Centre is proposing to train tertiary-level artisan students to ensure graduates are certified and ready to contribute to the country’s housing development goals. Essien also praised the Ministry’s initiative to train and digitally certify 10,000 construction artisans annually over a three-year period, describing it as a major step toward addressing unemployment and boosting economic growth.
