The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has urged officials of the National Directorate of Employment to buckle up for the task of combating unemployment in the country.
Onyejeocha also said that the Nigerian government has vowed to address the pressing issue of unemployment, particularly among young people.
The minister spoke at the ongoing Lagos International Trade Fair, with the theme “Connecting Businesses, Creating Value,” where she addressed trainees and beneficiaries of NDE.
The minister emphasised the NDE’s crucial role in tackling unemployment through the agency’s efforts in providing skills training and entrepreneurship opportunities for young Nigerians.
She highlighted the government’s plan to launch a roadmap in the coming weeks aimed at removing over 80% of unemployed youths from the streets.
She said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is concerned about the rising unemployment rate and has given a clear mandate to address this challenge effectively.
According to a statement by her Special Adviser on Media, Emameh Gabriel, the minister assured Nigerians that the government is committed to working to create a more inclusive economy where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.
“I am not exaggerating. I have seen the heart of the President. I have seen the team he has assembled, and I have seen their hearts and commitments. I have also seen the attitude of all his appointees. I want Nigerians to give us some time, and there will be a big turnaround,” she was quoted as saying.
The minister noted that though the country is going through unavoidable hard times, with time, its fortune would be turned around for good.
“We do not have any reason to fail. We must work hard to change the narrative. We are coming up with policies and strategies that will remove 80 per cent of unemployed people from the street,” she added.
Onyejeocha promised that in the future, all trainees of the NDE must be empowered with a reasonable starter pack that will take them off the street completely.
She called on managers at NDE to focus on combating unemployment without compromise, adding that “the president, my principal, is concerned about unemployment in the country.
She said, “I am not going to engage in an empowerment programme that after training, you give the beneficiaries N50,000 or N20,000.because when you do that, you are simply telling them to just eat their lunch and go to bed.”
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry echoed the government’s call for increased efforts to combat unemployment and poverty.
LCCI President/Chairman of Council, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, expressed concern about the high poverty rate in the country, with over 63% of Nigerians living below the poverty line.
He urged the NDE to continue its impactful work in skills development and entrepreneurship training to empower young Nigerians and contribute to economic growth.
“The NDE has demonstrated its effectiveness in addressing unemployment, particularly through its skills acquisition and entrepreneurship training programs. From 2015 to 2022, the NDE’s extended special public works programme successfully engaged and incentivized over 760,520 participants.
“Additionally, the agency has harnessed the gains of agriculture value chains to create additional 74,939 jobs in the last two years”, said Olawale-Cole.
On his part, highlighting the achievements recorded by the NDE, the National Director, Abubakar Fikpo, said that they have been able to harness the gains of agriculture value chains under various agricultural schemes to create an additional 74,939 jobs in the last two years.
He added that the trade fair exhibitions remain platforms upon which business owners connect, gain exposure and unhindered access to the business world, and enhance the value of their products and services.
