Despite having one million welders, Nigeria is losing an estimated $10 billion annually in revenue by importing welders with international certification, displacing the country’s local service providers due to lack of acceptable accreditation.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, disclosed this while unveiling of the National Policy on Welding and Welding related Fields and a Strategy Implementation Action Plan.
He noted the national policy would end the $10 billion annual revenue loss in Nigeria, explaining that situation wae unacceptable to the present administration.
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Unveiling the policy on Monday in Abuja, the minister explained that the policy is aimed at preventing the humongous loss the country is suffering from the non-certification of industry practitioners in the sector.
Nnaji said: “Today marks a significant milestone as we launch the National Policy | on Welding and Welding-Related Fields and its Strategy Implementation Action Plan.
“This policy is a response to the long standing issue of neglect and lack of regulation in the welding sector, long left in the hands of uncertified personnel.
“The Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology recognises the importance of welding for the nation’s socio-economic development and has taken this crucial step to address the issue.
“By launching this National Policy on Welding, this Ministry, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, strategically fast-tracks Nigeria’s industrialisation by emphasising ‘standardised practices, quality enhancement, and innovation in welding across diverse sectors. We envision a selfsufficient and globally competitive Nigerian welding sector contributing significantly to the international supply chain.”
Nnaji stressed that lack of internationally recognised – certification of industry practitioners had prevented indigenous welding sector.
