More than three million young Nigerians are currently engaged in apprenticeship programmes, most of them within the informal economy, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has disclosed.

The ILO Regional Director for Africa, Fanfan Rwanyindo Kayitangwa, made the disclosure at the third annual conference of the Sub-Saharan Africa Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASASNET), where stakeholders called for the formal certification of apprenticeship systems across Africa to boost employment and economic growth.

Kayitangwa said apprenticeship remains one of the most effective pathways for equipping young people with practical skills and preparing them for the labour market, particularly at a time when technological change, climate challenges and demographic shifts are transforming economies across the continent.

She noted that Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with millions of young people entering the labour market annually, making skills development and workforce preparation a critical development priority.

According to her, innovation and skills acquisition often take place within communities where apprentices learn directly from master craftsmen and women, allowing practical knowledge and expertise to be transferred across generations.

“Studies show there are more than three million young persons involved in apprenticeship in Nigeria, with many of them operating in the informal economy,” she said.

Kayitangwa stressed the need for policies that recognise informal learning systems, improve training quality, strengthen worker protection and provide pathways to formal employment and lifelong learning.

“We cannot build an effective apprenticeship system by ignoring where most young people learn and work. We need systems that recognise informal learning, improve quality and create pathways towards formalisation and decent work,” she added.

Also speaking at the conference, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, said apprenticeship systems are essential for Africa’s industrialisation and economic transformation agenda.

He noted that millions of young Africans acquire practical skills through apprenticeships in workshops, farms, construction sites, manufacturing enterprises and service industries, helping to connect learning directly with production.

“No country has successfully industrialised without investing in practical skills and workplace learning,” Tah said.

He added that as African countries seek to expand manufacturing, modernise agriculture and strengthen regional value chains, quality apprenticeship systems must become central to national development strategies.

Tah, however, acknowledged that most Africans continue to work and learn within the informal economy, stressing the need to transform the sector rather than eliminate it.

“The challenge before us is not how to eliminate informality, but how to create pathways that move young people and enterprises towards higher productivity, stronger businesses and decent work,” he said.

The Secretary-General of SASASNET, Hon. Usman Sillah, said the network was established to address workforce development gaps across the continent and support efforts to improve skills acquisition and employment opportunities.

He expressed confidence that the organisation would help tackle Africa’s labour market challenges and contribute to sustainable economic development. (Daily Trust)

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