Stakeholders move to stem job losses in welding sector
Stakeholders of the Nigerian Institute of Welding (NIW) have reaffirmed commitment to reposition, as well as stem job loss in the country’s welding industry to foster economic development. They spoke at a long-overdue 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre, Effurun in Delta State over the weekend which […]
Stakeholders of the Nigerian Institute of Welding (NIW) have reaffirmed commitment to reposition, as well as stem job loss in the country’s welding industry to foster economic development.
They spoke at a long-overdue 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre, Effurun in Delta State over the weekend which saw the dissolution of the executive structure led by Solomon Edebiri, formation of a new Caretaker Committee with a six-month mandate to fix the body, call for new elections possibly in the next six months among other mandates.
The meeting tagged as an “extraordinary assembly” was called to address systemic governance failures and reposition the welding profession.
The AGM, the first since 2018, was the outcome of a court directive to resolve internal leadership disputes that had crippled the organization for seven years.
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The Interim Chairman of the NIW, Professor Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji, in his opening address, listed ten critical failings that have plagued the institute, including governance gaps, regulatory non-compliance, misuse of funds, and erosion of public trust.
“These issues are not merely administrative lapses, they are existential threats to the survival of NIW,” Ma’aji stated, calling for recommitment to restoring credibility, trust, and professionalism.
To resolve the lingering leadership in the institute in order to forge ahead, a motion was moved by Urete Bloc, a member, to dissolve the existing executive structure, replacing it with a caretaker committee tasked with organizing fresh elections within six months.
The motion was endorsed by the floor and seconded by another member, Andrew John.
Ibrahim Nurudeen, a Manager in the Nigerian Liquified and Natural Gas Limited, who had earlier narrated several lost opportunities as a result of the NIW chaos, moved the motion for the formation of the new caretaker committee.
The new caretaker committee as nominated by the participants comprises Engr Bijimi Gaiya, Chairman; Engr Ali Lawal, Engr. Mrs Grace Erhimona, Mr Okpe Onovughe, Danladi Bako, Ayo Adeniyi and Legal Advisers – Balarabe Ahmad, as well as Nosa Edebiri.
Mrs. Erhimona was nominated as representative of the NIW at the The Welders Federation (TWF) as part of urgent efforts to rebuild the Institute.
The restructuring efforts were accompanied by calls to re-engage the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), which many felt had failed to enforce local content policies in the sector.
“Local content is not having any effect as far as we are concerned. We were offered N2,500 per inch on pipeline jobs from Isoko to Kwale axis. We rejected it. The Indians have taken over,” lamented Monday Usiakpor, a welding contractor.
Amid growing frustration over the dominance of foreign welders on major projects like the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, the stakeholders raised concerns about the marginalization of Nigerian professionals and the urgent need to rebuild the institute’s credibility.
“A Chinese welder earns N15 million, while I earn N1.5 million. If we sit without saying something, we will remain labourers in our own country,” said Danladi Bako, President of the Northern Welding Association, further demanding inclusivity and decentralization of NIW activities.
Speaking with reporters on the sidelines, Samaila Sifawa, a member of the Board of Trustees, emphasized that the AGM marked a turning point: “What we have done today is to rescue the Institute. Nigerians need it. It has done a lot in the past, and with today’s resolutions, it will bounce back.”
Youths and veteran members echoed the call for unity and collective responsibility to reposition the NIW as a professional body capable of setting standards, protecting jobs, and contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s industrial development.