SASASNET explains the reason behind Dangote Refinery's employment of 11,000 workers from India
The Sub-Saharan African Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASASNET) has provided an explanation regarding the engagement of 11,000 skilled workers from India by Dangote Refinery, while seemingly overlooking youths from Nigeria and other African countries.
According to the network's findings, the reason for this preference lies in the fact that Nigerian youths and others within the region currently lack the necessary skills required to undertake the specific tasks involved.
Following a two-day meeting in Abuja, the Network reached a consensus, proposing that each African country develops its own national skills qualification framework. Such a framework aims to facilitate easier labor migration across the continent, thereby fostering skills development and opportunities for the youth.
The official communiqué, released on Wednesday, bears the signature of Ousman Sillah, the Secretary-General of the regional organization.
In the issued communique, SASASNET highlighted several crucial observations. Firstly, the network emphasized the necessity of undertaking robust public awareness and engagement initiatives to alter the negative perception surrounding the value of skills and apprenticeship.
The communique also pointed out the concerning situation at the Dangote Refinery construction project in Nigeria, where over 11,000 workers were engaged from India, highlighting the lack of required skills among our local youths.
Furthermore, SASASNET cautioned against the possibility of a similar scenario occurring during the construction of the $25 billion Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, which will traverse the Gulf of Guinea to Europe.
Lastly, the network expressed concern over the absence of National Occupational Standards in many countries, underlining the need for their implementation to enhance skills development and ensure a standardized approach across the region.
Expanding on its findings, the network highlighted a significant concern regarding the lack of recognition pathways for skills acquired in the informal sector across various sub-Saharan African countries, including Nigeria. This absence has resulted in limited opportunities for skilled labor migration within different regions of Africa.
Moreover, the network pointed out two additional issues. Firstly, the negative social perception towards skilled workers, which hampers the overall appreciation of their valuable contributions. Secondly, the weak interface that currently exists between trade unions/associations and skills/apprenticeship development, which may hinder effective collaboration and progress in this area.
Regarding the next steps, the Network put forth several recommendations, including the development of a National Skills Qualifications Framework for each member country, with specific provisions to recognize skills from the informal sector. Additionally, SSANET plans to collaborate with World Skills to foster competition and talent exploration among African youths.
To promote inclusivity, the Network proposed integrating NEET (Not in Education, Employment, and Training) individuals into the apprenticeship training program.
Furthermore, it was agreed that Nigeria would host the Network's Secretariat, while Kenya would have the honor of hosting the next General Assembly in 2024.
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