By ADEPOTE AROWOJOBE

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Wednesday held a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish the Lagos State Artisans and Craftsmen Regulatory Board.

The hearing, held at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium within the Assembly complex, Ikeja, was organised by the House Committee on Industry, Commerce and Cooperatives, chaired by Mr Tobun Abiodun.

The proposed legislation seeks to provide a regulatory framework for the registration and activities of artisans and craftsmen across the state.

Speaking at the hearing, Tobun said the exercise was aimed at obtaining meaningful contributions from practitioners and other stakeholders before the bill proceeded further in the legislative process.

According to him, artisans and craftsmen remain part of Lagos’ economic landscape as they provide employment and contribute to the development of the state, despite several challenges confronting them.

Tobun said the proposed law was intended to ensure that artisans and craftsmen operated as recognised professionals while protecting their rights and interests.

“We want to ensure that they do the work and deliver to their customers. We want to ensure that they are well protected and have access to support from the government.

“We will ensure that we have registered professionals across board, such as carpenters, woodworkers, plumbers and others,” he said.

The lawmaker said the bill would also provide mechanisms for addressing complaints and professional misconduct, as well as punishment for those who failed to perform their jobs as expected.

“We would also set up committees to monitor the activities of members of the various associations of artisans and craftsmen,” he said.

The Speaker of the House, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, said public hearings remained an important part of the legislative process.

He said, “This has been a tradition in our legislative processes. We don’t just legislate on bills; we directly engage with stakeholders through public hearings.”

He said the bill was important because many Lagos residents earned their livelihoods through artisanal and craft activities, adding that it would regulate and standardise their operations.

“It is to regulate and standardise the activities of our craftsmen, protect the interests of our people and regulate the activities of artisans and craftsmen operating within our state,” he said.

Obasa added that the proposed board would organise workshops and training programmes for practitioners and collaborate with relevant agencies to improve their skills, while consumers would have avenues to lodge complaints.

“It is our belief that subjecting the law to public scrutiny would make it better. We call on you to avail us of your observations on the proposed bill,” she said.

The overview of the bill was presented by Mr Stephen Ogundipe, representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency I.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr Bankole Ajigbotafe, described the proposed legislation as a positive step toward bringing greater structure to the informal sector.

“This is a good initiative. It is a commendable one. This reflects an intention for certification of artisans and craftsmen.

“We support the passage of the bill for identification, certification and economic inclusion of artisans and craftsmen,” he said.

The First Vice-President of the Lagos State Council of Tradesmen and Artisans (LASCOTA), Toriola Ajayi Rasheed, said artisans had been seeking solutions to challenges surrounding certification and renewal of certificates.

“We as artisans have been pushing issues relating to the renewal of the certification of our members,” he said.

Representing the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), Arinola Ayokanbi, also made contributions to some provisions of the proposed legislation.

The Managing Director of Ibile Metropolitan Project, Aare Deji Okunubi, called for a broader definition of the categories of artisans covered by the proposed law, including mechanics, welders and hairdressers.

Okunubi said the legislation should protect both artisans and consumers.

“The bill should be crafted in such a way that it would protect the artisans and the consumers,” he said.

He added that there should be mechanisms for monitoring artisans after engagement by customers.

“There should be a way to checkmate the activities of artisans whenever they are given any job,” he said.

Okunubi also said the legislation could expose practitioners to opportunities outside Lagos.

He said, “We can encourage them to export some of their services outside the state. The bill would guarantee more prosperity for artisans and more protection for consumers.”

Responding to the submissions, Obasa reiterated that the essence of the public hearing was to obtain stakeholders’ views before final decisions were taken on the legislation.

He said the issue of renewal of artisans’ certificates was already captured in the bill, while assuring participants that consumer rights would also be protected.

“The rights of consumers would be protected. The House is willing to protect the interests of the people,” she said. (NAN)