Skilled tradespeople and artisans in Ondo State have issued a stern warning to the Federal Government, threatening nationwide protests and electoral backlash over their exclusion from President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda empowerment initiatives.
The warning was delivered on Friday in a joint statement by Engr. Ogundipe James and Adebayo Olugbenga, Chairman and General Secretary of the Artisan Defender and Empowerment Foundation.
Registered with the Federal Government to advance the interests of Niger Delta tradespeople, the coalition claims its group of over 25,000 members plays a vital role in national employment and economic growth, yet continues to suffer worsening welfare conditions.
“This is a public warning and general awareness that failure to listen to Niger Delta Artisan Forum’s demands will lead to a national protest and have huge political support consequences for the continuation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu come the 2027 election, if attention is not immediately given to the demands.”
The group expressed frustration that its members have been overlooked despite delivering solid political backing for the administration. They urged key federal bodies, including the Ministry of Trade and Investment, the Directorate of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, SMEDAN, and the Presidential Amnesty Programme, to urgently review and act on empowerment and upskilling proposals previously submitted to them.
The association highlighted “the neglect of the welfare and empowerment of over 25,000 artisans that this organisation controls, for which we are advocating better welfare, skills and vocational training, empowerment, workshops and recognition of political strength and weight the coalition commands in the voting structure.”
They warned that continued marginalisation could fracture political alliances and cautioned that failing to support these vital economic contributors would damage electoral backing for the administration’s agenda heading into the 2027 polls.