The National Institute of Welding says that efforts are underway to regulate and integrate informal, roadside welders into Nigeria’s national certification system through the National Skills Qualification Framework.

The president of NIW, Solomon Edebiri, stated this in Lagos on Monday, speaking about the challenges posed by unregulated welding practices in the informal sector.

Mr Edebiri described informal welding practices as a major issue, stressing that certification and standardisation remain critical to ensuring quality, safety, and employability.

He said that the skills qualification framework provided welders outside the formal education system with an opportunity to become certified without necessarily attending conventional classrooms or workshops.

According to him, the framework allows informal welders to continue their work while receiving guidance from a master craftsperson until they reach an assessable competency level.

“Once such welders are ready, an NSQF-accredited assessor or internal quality control officer conducts an evaluation to determine their skill level. If they are not qualified at a certain level of practice, they will not be certified at that level,” he said.

The NIW president said that the institute had worked with the National Board for Technical Education to establish the NSQF, which defined training and certification methods for welders.

He said the initiative was designed to create a structured pathway for welders in the informal sector to be recognised, upgraded and properly documented.

Mr Edeberi added that the goal was to support government efforts to create a system in which informal welders could be organised, assessed, and guided toward internationally acceptable standards.

He said such an approach would enhance productivity, improve job opportunities, and reduce poor welding outcomes that could result in accidents and infrastructure failure.

Mr Edebiri also explained that the institute played a key role in ensuring that welding practice in Nigeria was carried out under proper quality assurance processes.

He said welding engineers must be involved in design processes, material selection, welding execution and integrity testing to ensure safe outcomes.

The NIW president expressed optimism that with proper implementation and wider participation, the NSQF would strengthen Nigeria’s skilled workforce and support industrial development.

(NAN)