Artisanship Disconnect: Declining Technical Apprenticeship and Artisan Service and the Implications for Nigeria?s Future Development

摘要

Against the backdrop of the entrepreneur being the prime cause of economic development in every nation, palpable and consistent decline in technical apprenticeship practice and artisanal products and services in Nigerian cities and suburbs constitutes a bad omen for socio-economic development. This study used visits spread over 5 years to the supply side, represented by farms, street technical workshops, lube bays, artisan villages and artisan pools in some cities and their suburbs, to establish the decline. Questionnaires completed by the demand side, represented by a cross section of the society, corroborated the findings from the visits, while extra-questionnaire probing interviews helped to establish the causes of the decline and its implications for Nigeria?s future development. Simple statistical tables and percentages were used for analysis of data. Recommendations were given for possible reversal of the trend.