The Lagos State House of Assembly has approved a committee report on a proposed legislation aimed at regulating the registration and professional activities of artisans and craftsmen operating across the state.
The report, submitted by the House Committee on Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, was considered and adopted during plenary on Monday.
The bill seeks to establish the Lagos State Artisans and Craftsmen Regulatory Board, which will be responsible for supervising the registration, training, certification and professional standards of artisans and craftsmen in the state.
While presenting the report, the committee chairman, Tobun Abiodun, said the contribution of artisans and craftsmen to economic growth and employment generation had made it necessary to introduce a regulatory structure for the sector.
He noted that the increasing size and diversity of the industry required proper oversight to ensure professionalism, competence, safety and accountability among practitioners.
According to the report, the proposed board would be responsible for setting standards and overseeing the registration, training, certification and professional conduct of artisans and craftsmen operating in Lagos.
Tobun explained that the legislation would ensure that practitioners possess the required knowledge and technical skills to deliver quality services, boost productivity and competitiveness, and protect consumers against poor workmanship and unqualified service providers.
He added that the proposed framework would also safeguard the interests of registered artisans and craftsmen while providing an enabling environment for their businesses to expand.
The committee chairman further explained that the bill contains provisions for registered practitioners to benefit from government funding, financial support and other intervention programmes. Such assistance, he said, would enable them to expand their businesses, purchase modern equipment and improve their professional skills.
Among the recommendations contained in the report is a provision for the governor to appoint the General Manager of the proposed board on the recommendation of the relevant commissioner, subject to confirmation by the House.
The committee also proposed that foreign nationals with relevant professional training, qualifications or practical experience obtained outside Nigeria should be allowed to seek registration as artisans or craftsmen in Lagos State.
It further recommended that the proposed board work with the Lagos State Vocational and Technical Education Board, vocational training institutions and other government agencies to organise continuous education, refresher courses and skills-development programmes for registered practitioners.
Following deliberations, the lawmakers adopted the committee's recommendations as the official position of the House.
The Speaker, Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, who presided over the sitting, subsequently instructed the Clerk of the House, Adenike Oshinowo, to transmit a clean copy of the bill to the governor for assent.
Lagos Assembly moves to regulate artisans, craftsmen with new bill