About Us
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Artisan Skills Training
Nigeria cannot build the homes it needs without the people who build them. The programme trains, certifies and employs skilled labour.
The construction sector’s constraint is not only capital. It is skilled labour: masons, tilers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters and painters, trained to a standard, certified, and connected to projects that need them. The programme addresses all three.
Delivered by FHFL under the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund, financed by the African Development Bank, the programme recruits from the communities around our projects, trains to National Skills Qualification standards, and links graduates directly to employment on housing developments.
Artisans training on site
Where we are (Q2 2026)
The training
After training
Certification on its own does not put food on a table. The programme is built around employment linkage: graduates are connected to contractors and developers working on FHFL-financed projects, and to the wider construction market through their certification. All 572 pilot graduates from Abuja and Katsina have been linked to employment or engagement opportunities with partner developers.
We also support graduates who want to work for themselves, through starter toolkits, cooperative formation and links to small business support.
Success stories
Beneficiary accounts from the Abuja and Katsina pilot cohorts, as documented in the Q2 2026 AfDB Quarterly Report.
“We were given stipends every month and exposed to practical training at different project sites. Now I can confidently carry out plastering and block work.”Eucharia Onah · Masonry, Abuja
Before this opportunity, many people believed masonry was only for men, but I wanted to prove that women can also succeed in construction trades. Today, I can proudly work professionally in masonry, and I believe this programme has opened new opportunities for women like me.
“The programme was very interesting and practical. It strengthened my passion for the construction industry.”Agbaje Damilola · Plumbing, Abuja
The artisan programme helped me develop professional plumbing skills and exposed me to real construction site experience. Now I see plumbing not just as a skill, but as a long-term career and business opportunity.
“I am surprised at myself, with how fast I was able to learn these things and how good my classmates and I have become.”Saidu Rabiu · Carpentry, Katsina
Before joining the programme, I had no real experience in carpentry. Through intensive training and hands-on practical sessions, I learned how to work with precision, operate carpentry machines and produce quality work.
“The artisan programme changed my mindset completely.”Aisha Lawal Bature · Painting, Katsina
Before the programme, I never imagined I could work confidently in construction because of cultural stereotypes around women in technical trades. I now see painting and finishing as a business opportunity, especially for women-focused projects.
How to apply
When a cohort opens, we announce it here and through the state government and our partners. Applications are taken through our official channels only.
Register your interest and we will contact you when recruitment opens in your state.
We deliver the programme with state governments, training institutions, certification bodies and the developers who employ our graduates. If you need certified artisans, or want to bring a cohort to your state, contact us.
