Leadership (Abuja)
Ismail Tahir Funtua
31 August 2008
Nigeria Institute of Welding (NIW), the body mandated to regulate all welding activities in the country and bring it to international standards have protested their affiliation to bodies under the ministry of commerce instead of ministry of Mines and Steel Development.
Making their position known to the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Gusau, he body pleaded with the minister to use his position to ensure that the institute is placed under the direct supervision of the ministry of Mines and Steel Development.
Speaking un behalf of his group, President institute, Mr Solomon Iyabosa Edebirin said the best place for the institute is with the ministry of Mines and Steel Development.
Stressing that the institute is committed to explore all available resources and opportunities to improve on the current level of competence in welding technology in the country, Mr Edebiri, intimated the minister that it is still faced with the challenge of reluctance by a large section of the country's industrial sector to follow set standards and codes in welding practice.
Other challenges he said, is resistance by multinational companies in the sector to accept the Nigerian welders, as well as the lack of modern welding and testing equipment for weld procedure qualifications and personnel certification, including inadequate welding personnel to provide the necessary support to the industry and inadequate resources for the surveillance teams across the country.
The president assured the minister that members are committed to working with all relevant government agencies towards the attainment of the Federal Government's vision to make Nigeria one of the 20 most industrialised nations in the world.
Responding to the demand to be affiliated to the ministry, the minister advised the institute which said that it is working closely with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to build capacity in welding technology through the NDDC skills acquisition program, train over 1,900 youths across the Niger Delta states, to try and synergise with all other related associations in order to create a synergy of institutions.
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