Artisans Working Conditions in the Nigerian Construction lndustry:A Case Study of Some States in Northern Nigeria

The study examined the wages and working conditions of artisans in the Nigerian construction industry. Data for the study was obtained through structured questionnaire-aided interview. About 89 skilled artisans were interviewed on various construction sites spread across three states of northern Nigeria. Finding revealed poor job security among artisans as most of them were employed on casual/temporary duration, dependent on availability of work. Majority of the artisans interviewed were not satisfied with their current wages although about 31.46% believe that the wages are fair. The high rate of safety and health hazard faced by workers on construction sites was underscored with about 76.40% of artisans claiming to have being involved in one form of accident or the other on construction sites. Majority of the artisans believed training and career development opportunities in the industry are poor with most workers learning their skills only on thejob. A large percentage of the artisans however, seem to appreciates the attitudes of their employers/supervisors towards them. It was concluded from the study that there is need for stakeholders to fashion out measures towards improving work conditions in the construction industry especially in the areas of safety, wages and general working environment with a view to encouraging retention and motivation of workers.