NerdzFactory Company and Research Links wrapped up their MasterCrafters Assessment and Training Programme in April 2026. The initiative certified 201 skilled tradespeople across ten different trades in Lagos.
All participants completed structured training as mentors. They're now equipped to develop the next generation of apprentices across the city.
The partnership brings together NerdzFactory Company, Research Links, the Mastercard Foundation, and Digital Opportunity Trust. Together, they're reshaping Nigeria's informal skills economy through the Indigenous Apprenticeship to Work Programme.
Most Nigerian workers toil in the informal sector. Yet the apprenticeship system—where young people traditionally learn trades—has operated without structure or formal accountability for decades.
NerdzFactory and Research Links built something different. They mobilised experienced craftspeople from across Lagos communities, assessed them for technical skill and teaching ability, then equipped them with practical frameworks.
The assessment phase ran from April 16-18, 2026. Candidates were tested across ten trades: fashion design and tailoring, auto mechanics, carpentry, catering, hair making, photography, cosmetology, art and craft, nail technology, and shoe making.
Of the 201 certified MasterCrafters, 186 are women and 15 are men. Four participants are persons with disabilities, each evaluated on identical standards.
This gender composition wasn't accidental. Programme designers made women's inclusion a deliberate priority from the start.
Training happened at month's end, covering six core areas. Participants learned about safeguarding, ethical apprenticeship practices, mentorship skills, communication, financial literacy, inclusion, and conflict resolution.
A crucial outcome emerged through Nigeria's Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework. The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) formally certified all 201 participants.
For most craftspeople, years of skilled work existed outside the formal system. Communities recognised their abilities, but no national credentials validated their expertise.
That gap has closed. Decades of hands-on experience now converts into officially recognised national qualifications.
Omozele Umoren, Programme Supervisor at NerdzFactory Company, highlighted the significance. "When we invest in people who hold knowledge, we unlock scale," she said.
According to Umoren, certification of 201 MasterCrafters creates something bigger than credentials. "What this unlocks is systems change—a replicable mentorship infrastructure that communities can own, partners can scale, and young people can build careers on," she noted.
The programme reflects a fundamental shift in thinking about skills development. Rather than building systems from the top down, it started with community craftspeople already doing the work.
Young Nigerians now have a clearer pathway into skilled trades. They'll learn from certified mentors operating within formal frameworks instead of unstructured apprenticeship arrangements.
This model targets sustainability across Lagos and potentially beyond. The infrastructure created here provides a template other communities could replicate and adapt.
