What Lagos’ Proposed Artisan Regulation Means for Artisans, Customers

Kehinde Adeleye

The Lagos State House of Assembly wants artisans and craftsmen across the state to move from largely informal operations into a more organised and accountable system where practitioners can be identified, trained, certified and monitored.

That is the central idea behind the proposed Lagos State Artisans and Craftsmen Regulatory Board Bill being considered by the Assembly.

The bill, sponsored by the Chairman of the House Committee on Industry, Commerce and Cooperatives, Abiodun Tobun, is not yet a law. It was subjected to a public hearing on Wednesday, September 16, where artisans, government officials and consumer protection stakeholders made recommendations before the legislation proceeds further.

So, what exactly is Tobun proposing?

Tobun’s argument is straightforward: if artisans provide professional services to Lagos residents, there should be a system for knowing who they are, establishing that they have the necessary skills and holding them accountable when things go wrong.

In practical terms, the proposed system would create a register of artisans and craftsmen operating in Lagos.

A carpenter, plumber, electrician, mechanic, mason, bricklayer, woodworker or other recognised artisan would be expected to be properly registered and certified under the proposed framework.

Tobun said the aim is to ensure that people working in Lagos are professionally trained and certified, while also ensuring that customers get the service they paid for.

Why does the Assembly want a register?

At the moment, a customer can hire an artisan without necessarily having an official way of checking the person’s qualifications, identity or professional status.

The proposed register is intended to change that.

The government would have information on registered practitioners, making it easier to monitor their activities and deal with complaints or professional misconduct.

Registration would also involve identification through systems such as the National Identification Number and LASRRA, according to the proposed framework.

What happens if an artisan does a bad job?

This is one of the major changes being proposed.

The bill provides mechanisms for complaints and sanctions against practitioners who fail to meet the required standards.

Depending on the offence and provisions eventually passed, sanctions could include suspension or cancellation of certification, fines and, for serious offences, imprisonment.

The idea is that certification should come with responsibility: if an artisan is formally recognised as qualified, there should also be consequences when that professional standard is seriously breached.

But is the bill only about punishing artisans?

No.

This is an important part of Tobun’s argument.

He said the proposed system would also protect artisans themselves, including helping them access government support and ensuring that clients do not simply refuse to pay after work has been completed.

So, in principle, the proposed arrangement is intended to create obligations on both sides: artisans should deliver the agreed service, while customers should also meet their obligations.

The proposed framework is therefore not being presented solely as an enforcement mechanism. It is also intended to formalise the sector and connect practitioners to government support and skills development opportunities.

What about people who come from outside Lagos?

Tobun also raised the issue of unqualified practitioners coming into Lagos to provide services.

The proposed certification system is intended to make it easier to identify qualified practitioners and prevent people without the necessary credentials from presenting themselves as certified professionals.

That means the government would have a clearer basis for distinguishing registered practitioners from people operating without the required approval.

What does this mean for an ordinary Lagos resident?

For a resident who wants to hire an electrician, plumber, mechanic or carpenter, the proposed system could eventually mean that the person has a recognised professional identity and certification that can be checked.

If the work is poorly done, abandoned or otherwise violates the agreed professional standard, there would also be a formal channel for complaints and possible redress.

Consumer protection stakeholders have proposed even more specific safeguards, including written estimates, clear descriptions of the work, agreed costs and timelines, receipts and warranties for completed jobs.

Those are stakeholder recommendations, however, and should not be confused with provisions already finally enacted into law.

And what about the artisans?

For artisans, formalisation could mean more than simply paying registration fees.

The bill and stakeholder submissions envisage training, certification, professional development, government support and better recognition of artisans as part of Lagos’ workforce.

The Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, however, urged lawmakers to ensure that the proposed board does not become mainly an enforcement or revenue-collection institution.

He argued that skills development, welfare, financial assistance, continuing education and economic inclusion should remain central to the framework.

In simple terms

What Tobun and the Assembly are proposing is essentially this:

Know who the artisans are.

Confirm that they have the skills they claim to have.

Give qualified practitioners official recognition.

Make it easier for customers to identify and complain about poor service.

Create consequences for serious professional misconduct.

Give artisans access to training and government support.

Protect artisans from customers who fail to honour their own obligations.

The difficult part will be finding the balance between regulation and the reality of Lagos’ huge informal workforce.

That was why the public hearing was important. The bill is still being considered, and stakeholders are asking lawmakers to make sure that formalising the sector does not become an unnecessary burden on young apprentices, low-income artisans or experienced practitioners who learned their trades outside formal institutions.

For now, the message from the Assembly is clear: Lagos wants its artisans to be recognised as professionals, but the proposed system is still being shaped before it can become law.