The Managing Director, Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Prof. Mohammed Al-Amin, has advised youths to acquire skills in the housing and construction industry to make them employable and productive.
Al-Amin gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
According to him, the housing sector has abundant opportunities for the realization of the youth employment objectives of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
He noted that the sector had about 78 housing-related jobs that could absorb many of the nation’s unemployed youths and take them off the streets.
He decried the current shortage of artisans in the various fields of the housing and construction industry.
He said that the current shortage had led to continued importation of skilled personnel from neighbouring countries to take up jobs that should have been done by Nigerian youths.
“In the housing industry, for example, if you are looking for a dedicated and competent youth to lay tiles for you in the country, you have to bring a Togolese.
“If you need somebody to do Plaster of Paris (POP) in the ceiling for you, you will also get a Ghanaian or somebody from Lome.
“The whole world is going into precision, so I call on the youths to be dedicated in training in whatever construction skills they choose to and excel in it.
The managing director said that the government would soon commence the implementation of its housing programmes.
Al-Amin, who just recorded one year in the office, said that his management team had succeeded in putting FHA on a sound footing.
He said that a structural re-alignment of FHA’s operational system in line with international best practices and good corporate governance had also been effected.
“Measures are also introduced to block leakages, check corruption and ensure financial prudence.
“The workforce has been re-organised in line with the principles of service efficiency and improved productivity while computer automation in documentation and record keeping of the authority’s assets was also introduced.’’
He added that the principles guiding partnerships and contracted projects were also reviewed to ensure that the authority got the best of every deal.
Al-Amin recently received an `Exemplary Leadership of Excellence Award’ conferred on him by the Arewa Youth Parliament for his effort in bridging the nation’s housing deficit.
Describing the youths as the building blocks of the nation, Al-Amin urged them to be more productive to enhance the nation’s economic growth.
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