01/04/2026
If bricklaying masons are not speaking loud enough, then we must help them speak. There has to be fairness.
Bricklaying is one of the hardest tasks in construction. Yet, they are among the lowest paid. That imbalance is not justifiable.
You see a skilled artisan in another trade like art work on column and fence earn ₦350,000 for a few days of work, purely based on skill, no materials involved. That is fine. Skill deserves value.
But then you look at a bricklayer:
• Works from 8am to 6pm or beyond
• Handles physically demanding work
• Carries production responsibility on site
Yet earns:
• ₦15,000 per day
• Sometimes even less
How does that make sense?
Some clients are still negotiating ₦120 per block. Let’s break it down:
• 100 blocks @ 120 = ₦12,000
• From that, the bricklayer still pays a labourer
What is left?
And these are the people doing the foundation, setting the walls, carrying the building from ground level under the supervision of construction engineer .
They are the one who laid the block of building construction, yet they remain the most underpaid. Next to them are iron benders.
Carpenters have started correcting their value. They now demand better. But bricklayers are still undervaluing themselves.
Now, let’s be honest. Part of the problem comes from within.
You will see the same bricklayer:
• Charging an engineer ₦200 per block
• Charging a direct client ₦150 per block
Why?
Because they believe when working for a client directly, they can reduce standards:
• No proper line
• No proper level
• No alignment control
But when working with an engineer, they know supervision is strict:
• Plumb must be accurate
• Lines must be straight
• Work must meet specification
This inconsistency is damaging their value.
You cannot lower your price and lower your standard, then expect to be respected or paid well.
Every artisan should think long-term:
“If I do this work for 15 to 20 years, will I be able to build a house? Buy a car? Sustain my family?”
If the answer is no, then something is wrong with your pricing and planning.
This is your profession. Your livelihood must come from it, now and in the future.
Stop seeing engineers or contractors as the problem. The earnings are not the same. Supervision fees cannot be compared to the physical labour and production output you deliver over time.
Fight for your value, but also improve your consistency and professionalism. Many of you don’t even have basic construction tools beyond a trowel, a short plumb, a line block and a pako Rub .
Minimum reality:
• Bricklayers should not be earning less than ₦20,000 to #25,000 per day
• Labourers should not be earning less than ₦10,000 per day
We can do better as an industry.
Let us stop normalizing a system where:
the harder the work, the lower the pay.
That is not sustainability. That is exploitation.
Bricklayers and masons are critical to every structure we build.
They deserve respect, structure, and fair compensation.
I know many of you will be excited about this conversation, but ask yourself one honest question:
Do you truly know the trade?
Many of you don’t.
You come to site, and within a short time, you are sent away. Not because there is no work, but because the skill is not there.
Go back and learn properly.
• Learn how to set blocks accurately
• Understand alignment, level, and proper bonding
• Master rubbing and finishing
• Learn how to plaster with the correct gauge and consistency
This is not guesswork. This is a trade.
Dedicate time, even if it is one full year, to re-learn the work the right way. Build your foundation again.
Because the truth is simple:
If you don’t know what you are doing, the site will expose you.
And no serious professional contractor will keep you.
