No classroom needed — informal welders can now earn national certification while on the job.
The National Institute of Welding (NIW) says it is moving to regulate and certify informal roadside welders, bringing them into Nigeria’s National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
Speaking in Lagos, NIW President Dr. Solomon Edebiri said unregulated welding remains a major safety and quality concern. He explained that the NSQF allows welders outside the formal education system to get certified without leaving their work, learning under a master craftsperson until they’re ready for assessment.
Once prepared, welders are evaluated by NSQF-accredited assessors, and certification is awarded strictly based on competence and skill level. Those who don’t meet the standards won’t be certified at that level, he stressed.
Edebiri said NIW, working with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), is creating a clear pathway to recognition, standardisation and international best practices. The goal: safer structures, better jobs, higher productivity, and fewer welding-related failures.
He expressed confidence that wider adoption of the framework will strengthen Nigeria’s skilled workforce and support long-term industrial development.
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