ARDENET ORG Partners BTVE, to Hold Stakeholders Sensitization Conference

As part of measures to improve the quality of services being rendered by artisans in Edo State, the Edo State Board for Technical and Vocational Education, BTVE is collaborating with the Artisan Development and Networking Organization, ARDENET ORG.

To this end, the groups are organizing a stakeholders’ sensitization conference with the theme “Needs for Sustainable Collaboration in Artisan Sector”.

Speaking at a press briefing on the proposed conference, Functioning Head of the Board for Technical and Vocational Education, Edo State, Mrs. Mercy Imasuen Isibor, stated that the event would hold on the 18th of December, 2024, at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy, JOOSPA.

She stated that the artisan sector is very crucial to the development of the board and that the initiative aligned with the commitment of the board in making life better for the masses.

While noting that there are challenges such as skills gap, access to finances and market opportunities facing artisans in Edo State, Mrs Isibor revealed that they want to adopt an integrated method to to address the challenges and ensure that artisans in the state come out better for it, so that in the next three to five years, the state would become the hub of artisans in Nigeria and people would no longer go out of the country to seek for their services.

“The major aim of this conference is to ensure that we are able to chat pathways that would enable us to be able to improve the quality of services that are being delivered by artisans in Edo State,” she stated.

Also speaking, the president, Artisans Development and Networking Organization, ARDENET, Mr. Ugiagbe Osamuyimen maintained that they are collaborating with Edo State Board of Technical and Vocational Education to bring forth bêtter opportunities, development and networking to sustain the artisan business in Edo State.

“The need for us to put heads together to bring forth better development in this sector became sacrosanct. On that, we applied for partnership and today we have sealed it up in preparation for the upcoming one day sensitization conference for invited stakeholders,” he stated.
According to Osamuyimen, they considered inviting top-notch stakeholders for the conference, because artisan’s services involved everybody and no matter how rich or poor you are, you would never enjoy your money, without the service of an artisan.
He called on invited stakeholders to ensure they make themselves available, to enable them put head together to figure out channels through which they could be able to proffer lasting solutions to the challenges facing artisans and thereby increase their values.
He reminded them that the event would hold on Wednesday, the 18th of December, 2024 at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy, JOOSPA, starting from 10 o’clock in the morning.

On his part, the Director, Strategy and Planning, ARDENET ORG, Mr. John Nosakhare Oyairo, observed that the collaboration is for the betterment of everybody.
According to ARDENET ORG director, “The last time I checked, the structured sector of the workforce in Edo State was just 7%, and that leave 93% for artisans. And all this while nothing has been done to develop the artisan space. And so trying to do that now is a welcome idea, is a dream come through for artisans“.
He added that the aim is to ensure that in the next three to five years, artisans in Edo State can compete internationally with any other artisan.