iCreate Africa Returns with a Bigger Goal for the Construction Industry

By Vanessa Obioha 

Since its first edition in 2018, iCreate Africa, a hub that prioritizes technical skills by organising competitions and exhibitions, has been intentional about its mission to upgrade the profile of skilled professionals in the informal sector. This year is no different as it announces the sixth edition themed ‘The Builders Show,’ with new features.

Scheduled to run from June 1-3 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, The Builders Show aims to not only showcase the innovative skills of artisans but also make the construction field appealing to youths given the unemployment rate in Nigeria.

“The problem has never been that we don’t have jobs,” said Bright Jaja, the founder of iCreate Africa. “The fact is that young people are not interested in the jobs available.”

Jaja argued that jobs in the construction field, such as plumbing, are not sold to our youths because of the negative societal perception.

“The second reason is the informality in getting jobs within this space. It is the most informal sector. When you look at the situation, you discover that trades are the highest employers of labour. A construction project can employ 200 people at once and so how do we encourage young people to find interest in these opportunities that are there?”

It is against this backdrop that he established the skills festival that focuses on upgrading the profile of skilled professionals and creating a new set of influencers that would influence the next generation of young people to see value in trades. To make more impact, iCreate Africa divided its events into different categories such as fashion, technology, automobile mechanics and creative arts. The 2023 Builders Show is the second edition that will focus mainly on construction. 

“The Builders Show is a construction skills competition that is aimed at rebranding the trade profession, building and upgrading the profile of trade professionals in the construction industry. Our goal is to create a new class of influencers that will inspire young people to embrace careers in trade, thereby curbing youth unemployment in Nigeria,” said Jaja.

The exhibition will for the first time have an Africa Construction Skills Competition which will see African countries such as Togo, Ghana, Benin Republic and Nigeria compete for a cash prize of $10,000. Additionally, the winning country will receive tools and equipment from Bosch, one of the sponsors of the competition, endorsement deals and the title of the Africa Skills Champion. There will also be exhibitions, workshops and awards during the three-day event.

“We believe that this event will have a significant impact on our society, particularly in terms of job creation and closing the skills competency gap in the construction industry and promoting technical skills. We are empowering young people to become self-reliant and contributing members of society.”

Jaja’s vision aligns with that of Bosch, Berger Paints and GIZ who have all thrown their weight behind the fair.

The Head of Projects at GIZ, Tobias Wolfgarten during his address noted that GIZ’s mandate is to help youths in Nigeria to find decent employment and is aligned with iCreate Africa’s vision. 
 
Country Business Director for Bosch, Mr Samson Ajayi equally noted that the exhibition is important because “we believe that skills should be rebranded. The rate at which we produce graduates is higher than the jobs available. So we have to look for an alternative to fill the skills gap. We believe The Builders Show will help us to evaluate the kind of skills we have in Nigeria.”

For the Managing Director of Berger Paints, Alaba Fagun, partnering with iCreate Africa will help to build artisans that will use their products. She stated that the company will be giving out paints for the competition.

The icing on the cake however in the competition is a reality TV show that will capture every moment. Jaja disclosed that the producers of the Big Brother Reality TV show will produce the event as a reality TV show. This will expand its reach and help to inspire young people to embrace opportunities in the construction field.

“We are going to be telling stories of the contestants. There will be six episodes and we are pushing that it will get on Netflix,” he said.