The Sub-Saharan African Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASASNET) provided insight into why the Dangote refinery chose to hire 11,000 skilled workers from India instead of employing youths from Nigeria and other African nations.

The network stated that Nigerian youths lacked the necessary expertise required for the project.

During a two-day meeting in Abuja, SASASNET emphasized the need for African countries to develop a national skills qualification framework to facilitate labor mobility within the continent.

They expressed concerns over the negative perception of skills and apprenticeships in Africa and called for public awareness campaigns to address this issue.

The network also highlighted the absence of National Occupational Standards in many countries and proposed measures to promote skilled labor migration and inclusivity.