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Tag: employment

  • World Bank okays $300m for employment, poverty alleviation

    World Bank okays $300m for employment, poverty alleviation

    THE World Bank has voted $300 million to address youth unemployment and poverty in Nigeria.

    Its Sector Leader, Human Development, Prof Foluso Okunmadewa, who made this known on the sidelines of the bank’s training of trainers and registry of beneficiaries, at Iloko-Ijesa, Osun State, said the targeting get 300,000 youths.

    Working under the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO), Okunmadewa said the bank will work with state governments to set up a single registry of potential beneficiaries for social assistance.

    The National Unified Registry (NUR),he added, would be used to target subsidies and other government programmes.

    For a start, he said the bank would work with Osun, Oyo and Ekiti states to implement the electronic database.

    The states, he said, would be provided a single electronic database of potential social programme beneficiaries as well as an efficient payment delivery mechanism to enable the government to reach the poor to target groups in an accurate way, and on a large scale when needed.

    Okunmadewa said the bank is determined to make government programmes more responsive to the evolving needs of households.

    The Director-General, Bureau for Social Services, Osun State,Mr Femi Ifaturoti, lamented that the economy was being undermined by social challenges, including unemployment and poverty.

    Expressing the concern of the state government, Ifaturoti said the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is implementing employment generation and social protection programmes.

    The government, he added, believes that the solution is to adopt a mix of fiscal consolidation measures and reinstating social protection policies to protect the poor and vulnerable.

    So far,he said the government has been able to reduce unemployment to three per cent, one of the lowest among the 36 states.

    He said 20,000 youths have been empowered through OYES with monthly stipend of N10,000 each.

    He said the government was moving from a broadly targeted compensation system to a more targeted approach in the future.

    To introduce this approach, he said a more accurate means of targeting is required. This would involve addressing the fragmentation of databases across various agencies by supporting the establishment of a unified registry” where applicants could be ranked according to one welfare measure for distribution of social assistance.

    Ifaturoti said Osun’s adoption of a well-designed and unified targeting system would benefit the poor, increase poverty-reduce impacts, and introducing cost-efficiency to implementation of its welfare programmes.

    On the training, he said, upon completion, the beneficiairies would train and supervise outreach workers.

    Ifaturoti explained that YESSO is supported by the World Bank and targeting the extreme poor to access increased opportunity for youths and social service delivery.

    He said Osun is one of the first set of participating states in the country.

  • NLC condemns NIS recruitment protcols, calls for investigation

    NLC condemns NIS recruitment protcols, calls for investigation

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday condemned the recruitment protocols adopted by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Saturday in which many people died in parts of the country.

    This is contained in a statement signed by NLC President, Mr. Abdulwahed Omar, in Abuja on Monday.

    He said that the congress was saddened and shocked to learn of the avoidable death of unemployed youths during the exercise.

    “It is grossly unfair for the Immigration service to have invited thousands of our youths to physically present themselves to compete to fill a miserly four thousand vacancies.

    “Nothing but crass opportunism can explain this heartless scam.

    “A more rational and discerning recruitment process could easily have reduced the numbers by insisting on raising minimum standards.

    “The explanation by the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, that 520,000 applicants were invited for 4,556 spaces and that the applicants died in a stampede due to impatient and non-adherence to laid down orderly procedure, is rather weak and untenable.’’

    Omar noted that to have invited so much applicants for such few spaces, in all sense of administration, was unacceptable.

    He called on the Federal Government to to investigate the NIS, query the methods it adopted and the discretion it exercised in conducting the programme.

    “It is also important to remind government of the danger that unemployment, particularly unemployment of qualified youths, represents.

    “We therefore call on government to tackle unemployment with increased commitment, and appropriately sanction those who have had a hand in causing these scandalous deaths.

    In another development, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has described the stampede at the recruitment as a national disaster.

    It called for an immediate investigation into the death of the young Nigerians

  • Ahmed seeks collaboration on youth employment

    Ahmed seeks collaboration on youth employment

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has urged community associations and the private sector to collaborate with the three tiers of government to promote youth empowerment in the country.

    Ahmed made the call in a message to a summit organised by a socio-cultural group, the Omo Ibile Igbomina, at Ganmo in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.

    Represented by Alhaji Abdulmajid Ayinla, Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Finance, the governor said such coordinated efforts at youths empowerment would help end restiveness and other vices among the youth.

    A statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media, Dr Muideen Akorede, noted that the present high level of youth unemployment was a big social malaise requiring aggressive joint efforts to address.

    He challenged leaders in the country to implement programmes that would absolve more youths into functional ventures, and open up access to professional and political skills to prepare them for effective leadership in future.

    “We cannot claim that youths lack the experience for effective leadership without providing them the opportunity to acquire and demonstrate such capacity in our public and private lives”, he added.

    The governor stated that the administration had evolved an entrepreneurship programme to empower the youth through small businesses.

    He said the International Vocational Centre at Ajasse-Ipo and 60 other skill acquisition centres and 23 master trainers, were some of the platforms initiated by the government to promote youth empowerment in the state.

     

  • Govt, private sector urged on employment

    The Senior Special Assistant to Presidency on Millennium Development Goals, Dr Precious Gbeneol, has appealed to the government and the private sector to fashion ways of creating employment to alleviate poverty.

    The Presidential aide, who spoke at the just-concluded World Poverty Day, noted that putting more people to work remains the most sustainable way to reduce poverty.

    He acknowledged the efforts of the Federal Government to create jobs through different initiatives, such as the Conditional Cash transfer (CCT), You- Win and other efforts aimed at boosting the productive capacity in the economy, especially urged support for the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    “Though a lot has been achieved in the Information and Communications sector in the past two years, I will appeal to our youths to embrace agriculture as a means of viable employment by taking advantage of the various policies of the government,” said Gbeneol.

    She said Nigeria has made progress in eradicating poverty since it, alongside other developed countries, adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000.

    Specifically, she noted that Nigeria has partly achieved goal one of the MDGs, which deals with eradication of extreme poverty and hunger ahead of target date of 2015, by reducing the proportion of people suffering from hunger by 50 per cent.

  • Jobs of the day (2)

    1. Accountant at a Reputable Eatery Company

    A new Eatery located in Surulere, Lagos,  currently requires competent personnel to fill the following under-listed position:

    Job Title: Accountant

    Location: Lagos

    Responsibilities
    Set up an effective and efficient system of accounting records to capture all costs, income, profits assets and liabilities of the business.
    Prepare management accounts monthly to guide decision making.
    Prepare budgets regularly and institute effective internal controls.
    Handle transactions with banks, including obtaining bank statements and preparing monthly bank reconciliation statements.
    Interface with suppliers, service providers and others on matters regarding accounting records and reconciliations.
    Qualifications and Skills
    Must have minimum of ATS certificate of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN).
    Must be computer literate.
    Must have a minimum of three (3) years hands-on experience in the accounting function of a hotel or restaurant.
    Ability to work effectively in a team.
    Must be a male and not above 25 years of age.
    Application Closing Date
    5th November, 2013

    Method of Application
    Interested and qualified candidates should submit a handwritten application, stating the position applied for, and attaching their current CV’s and evidence of most current salaries to:

    The Advertiser
    P.O.Box 3911,
    Surulere, Lagos.

    2. Tailors at Glamour Tailors Limited

    Glamour Tailors Limited; a registered Nigerian Company, fully equipped with the state of the art tailoring and allied equipments and located within Surulere, Lagos is desirous of filling the following underlisted vacancies in its Organization.

    Job Title: Tailors

    Location: Lagos

    Requirements
    Minimum of WAEC/WASCE with 3-5 years cognate tailoring experience.
    Ideal persons must without supervision be able to cut & sew different male/female cloths.
    Application Closing Date
    5th November, 2013

    Method of Application
    Interested and qualified candidates should forward their applications stating their desired post to:

    The General Manager,
    P.O. Box 3831,
    Suru-Lere,
    Lagos.
    Or email: victormiiexclusive@gmail.com

    3. Supermarket and Restaurant Job Vacancies (5 Positions)

    Supermarket and Restaurant hereby invites applications for suitable candidates for the following positions:

    1.) Restaurant Supervisor

    Requirements
    Should possess a minimum of OND with working experience in similar positions.
    Basic Knowledge of store-keeping, data capturing and catering will be useful.
    2.) Cooks

    Requirements
    Basic training and consuming passion for cooking are required.
    Good experience in outdoor and indoor catering as well as in continental and African dishes is also necessary.
    3.) Waiters

    Requirements
    A minimum of SSCE is required.
    A prior experience working in an eatery will be an advantage.

    4.) Restaurant Attendants

    Requirements
    A minimum of SSCE.
    Good communication skills.
    5.) Drivers

    Requirements
    Should possess a minimum of 3 years driving experience.
    A sound understanding of Lagos road network is also required.
    Application Closing Date
    6th November, 2013

    Method of Application
    Interested applications, bearing the position of interest as subject, should be forwarded to:: kayusdeji@yahoo.com

    4.Customer Service Officers at a Nigeria Aviation Sector

    A leading services provider in the Nigeria Aviation sector. We currently require the service of highly motivated and amiable individuals who seek fulfilling careers in Customer Service at major international airports in Nigeria.

    Job Title: Customer Service Officers

    Location: Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Kano and Port Harcourt

    Job Description
    Successful candidates will work with a team Customer Service Officers at major airports in Nigeria in providing assistance to passengers traveling through the airports. The Customer Service Officer will be responsible for assisting passengers in a manner that promotes free flow of traffic at the airports and improve the overall service experience in line with the best international standards.

    Requirements:
    Must possess a Bachelors degree or its equivalent in the Arts or Social Sciences with a minimum of Second Class Honours
    Evidence of having participated in the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) scheme
    Must not be older than 28 years
    Clear oral and written communication skills
    Working knowledge of the French Language is art advantage
    Ability to work under pressure
    Must be in good physical health
    Good listening skills and patience
    Application Closing Date
    7th November, 2013

    Method of Application
    Interested and qualified candidates should send your CV with the applicable position and preferred location as subject of the email to: customerservice@aerobiz.info

    5.Civil Engineer at a Estate Development Company

    A real Estate Development company with office in Lekki, Lagos requires the services of a well qualified Civil Engineer with the following credentials.

    Job Title: Civil Engineer
    Location: Lagos

    Qualification:
    B.S.C in Civil Engineering
    Working Experience:
    Minimum of 5years working Experience in an Estate Development Company. COREN Certification
    AGE: 26-40 years old.
    Remuneration: Very attractive

    Application Closing Date
    6th November, 2013

    Method of Application
    Interested and qualified candidates should send their detail Curriculum vitae (CV) and application to:
    akfproperties@yahoo.com
    or
    The Managing Director
    AKF Properties Limited
    P.O.B 56390 Falomo Ikoyi,
    Lagos.

    6. Nurse In A Leading Agricultural Business

    A leading Agricultural Business house needs the vacant position to be filled for its large farming operations in a remote location in Nasarawa State:

    Job Title: Nurse

    Location: Nasarawa State

    Job Description
    Preferably a Female.
    She must be a Registered Nurse with minimum of 7 years experience.
    She must he between the ages of 28 years to 40 years.
    She must be hospitable and trustworthy.
    Remuneration:
    Successful candidates will receive a good salary mid allowances in line with company salary scale. Successful candidate will be provided accommodation.

    Application Closing Date
    30th October, 2013

    How to Apply
    Application must include Curriculum Vitae, application letter, recent passport size picture and scanned copies of relevant credentials.
    Email: ariyoolu@yahoo.com

  • NDE to partner private sector on youth employment

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) is to collaborate with the private sector  to create jobs for youths.

    NDE’s Zonal Coordinator, South-south Zone, Don Umoru, told The Nation that one objective of the agency is to create avenues for employment for the teeming unemployed youth, saying that the Southsouth region has viable natural resources, and that there is need to create employment in the area.

    He said the body rose to the challenge of enhancing effective collaboration in the fight against unemployment in the zone, adding that the agency is collaborating with some agencies in the provision of credit to trained beneficiaries of its initiatives to make them self-reliant. He identified the Bank of Industry (BoI), Bank of Agriculture (BoA) and microfinance banks as some of its partners.

    He explained that the NDE programme is designed to make youths acquire skills that would make them to be self-employed, stressing that NDE is partnering with the states and local governments to recruit unemployed youths.

    “In the last 25 years, the NDE has championed the cause of mass job creation through skills acquisition in vocational, agricultural, entrepreneurial/business skills, as well as transcient job opportunities. As at the end of 2011/2012, over three million unemployed persons have been put to gainful employment through the various programmes of the directorate.

    “Over the years, the NDE, apart from assisting young Nigerians to become self-employed in diverse fields, has equally shown a lot of commitment towards supporting the new businesses thus created,” Umoru said.

  • Youth employment’ll end insecurity, says Oshiomhole

    Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has identified youth employment as one way of ending the problem of insecurity in the nation.

    Speaking during a visit of the management of the Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC), Oshiomhole said: “Government alone will never be able to provide all the jobs the citizens require.”

    “The challenge facing the nation, more than anything else, is youth unemployment. It is now settled in development literature that the government will never be able to provide all the jobs the citizens require. It is also increasingly appreciated by Nigerians that the best jobs are not in the public sector, whether in terms of pay, compensation, or security of employment.

    “Any responsible government will be delighted to deal with a company like Coca-Cola, considering the reputation that the firm has established over the years.”

    “For us in Edo, your activities here are something that we cherish a lot, and I am happy to learn from you that you are going to dialogue with us on your plans for investment and expansion. I can assure you even before I know the details that whatever it is that you want us to do, including providing land and constructing road, we will do them and provide any other incentive you require.”

    “In my first term, we focused on infrastructure and in my second term, I am determined to focus on what we must do to increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state, encouraging businesses to expand and new businesses to locate. I want to thank you for the confidence you have shown in our state.”

    Earlier, the Managing Director of NBC, Ben Langat, commended the governor for the giant strides in infrastructural development.

    “We would like to thank you very much because of your programme, which has enabled businesses to thrive in Edo State. We have seen a lot of things that are happening. The infrastructural upgrade that we see, road expansion, construction and renovation of schools as well as the health sector, are instructive,” he said.

    He also said the company has 592 workers, out of which 200 are Edo indigenes, adding they make up about 10 per cent of its work force.

  • ‘States should copy Osun employment model’

    YOUTH unemployment is not getting better in Nigeria. But in the tiny corner of the State of Osun, something significant is shaping out that could well be the model other states should copy to arrest the evil effect on society of youth unemployment.

    Two years ago, when Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, governor of the State of Osun, started this programme, myopic critics and mischievous political opponents not only derided it, they thought it was a joke that wouldn’t get anywhere near addressing the problem of youth unemployment. But those in the international community, (and locally), with a clear vision of how to proceed in addressing the problem commended the programme and even recommended it to the developing and under-developed world as a model.

    A few states in the so-called Southwest have initiated similar projects, while elements within the OYES scheme are being programmed into efforts by some other states to empower youths and keep them off the streets. However, the depth of the O’YES scheme being operated by Ogbeni Aregbesola is what sells it as a model. That project has at the core of its objective a re-orientation of our young people to imbibe the culture of dignity of labour, and become less dependent on white collar jobs which have practically dried up.

    The O’YES scheme, which is a two yearly revolving programme, started with 20,000 young people. They were called ‘cadets’ and were given, at inception, a para-military training in discipline, which should assist them in appreciating the critical need for a change in attitude, and development of a new work culture that places emphasis on developing skills that could set them up individually as well as get them to contribute effectively in the upliftment of their communities.

    And on Tuesday, January 29, 2013, the first set of O’YES cadets graduated. The significance of the graduation should not be lost on observers and critics alike. The Osun project also has the attractive feature of being a ‘working school’ in which the jobless youths are assisted to acquire skills, doing jobs they would otherwise have considered beneath them, but which have the possibility of providing them with a livelihood.

    In addition, there is an arm of this scheme called O’YESTECH (a technical training centre, if you like) that trains O’YES cadets on mobile phone and computer assembly. Of the 20,000 first batch cadets that graduated last month, 18,000 are already absorbed into permanent jobs. Hundreds of other cadets, (600 of them to be exact) have been set up by the state government in brick-works; 500 have graduated from O’dua Farmers Academy, trained in modern farming techniques; more are being trained under the rural enterprise and agricultural project etc.

    The crux of the Osun project is that not only are these youths being trained, they are sorted and clumped into cooperatives and then funded to start enterprises of their own, which have clientele within the economic structures on ground, owned by government and other private sector institutions. Only blind critics will fail to appreciate the knock-on effect this kind of scheme would have on growth and job creation.

    Already, there are other economic benefits to the State of Osun, which should be mentioned here. N200 million is spent monthly on allowances for the N20,000 cadets. This means that in the last two years, as much as about N5bn has been made to circulate within the State economy. Even if the skeptics won’t believe it, significant change is occuring in Osun and no skepticism can alter that.

    Now, let us look at the bottomline of this O’YES model. If the 36 states of the Federation had adopted the O’YES scheme, 720,000 youths would have been taken off the streets in the last two years. Let us assume that the Federal Government bought into the scheme and took half that number of youths off the streets, over a million (1000,000) youths would have been off the streets in the last two years in Nigeria. The pity however is that Nigeria is too disorganised to think in that direction.

    I leave the rest to your judgement and imagination what difference this would have made to the economy, on crime and morality in the society. Bear in mind however that it is one thing to adopt the scheme nationwide, but it is yet another to implement it with the clinical thoroughness and passion that Ogbeni Aregbesola is going about business in the State of Osun.

    A surgical process of change is taking place in Osun. The blind senses it, the deaf feels it, and ‘regular people’ are excited by it. But if you doubt it, Osun invites you to come see things yourself. You will marvel at what is unfolding.

  • SURE-P: Fed Govt orders employment of 3,000 youths, women in Enugu

    The Federal Government has ordered that 3,000 youths, women and vulnerable persons in Enugu State be employed, under the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).

    Participants will be engaged under a scheme called Community Services, Women and Youth Employment (CSWYE) and paid a monthly stipend of N10,000 each.

    The CSWYE employees or participants will work in projects such as rehabilitation of hospitals and primary health centres, rehabilitation of schools and repairs of educational infrastructure, construction of water supply projects, sanitation, brick moulding and various repairs of critical community projects.

    The Coordinator of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Enugu State, Nnamdi Asomugha, spoke on the programme in Enugu.

    Asomugha doubles as the Head of the State’s Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) as well as the Vice-Chairman of the State Implementation Committee (SIC) of the SURE-P’s CSWYE.

    He said the Federal Ministry of Finance, which is implementing the programme, had directed the beginning of the CSWYE in Enugu State.

    He said the scheme is the fulfilment of President Goodluck Jonathan’s promise to reinvest the savings from the partial withdrawal of the subsidy on petroleum products in critical social safety net programmes.

    These include maternal and child health services, urban mass transportation and vocational development.

    The state Coordinator explained that the objectives of the CSWYE are: to create employment and empowerment opportunities for semi-skilled and unskilled labour force, reduce the vulnerability of women and the youth through exposure to income support, enhance societal access to quality social and economic infrastructure and services.

    About 110,000 jobs are expected to be created under the CSWYE in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. He also disclosed that 37,000 jobs will be created for graduates and holders of equivalent or higher degrees under the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) at the rate of 1000 jobs per state in the first quarter of 2013.

    Asomugha said the State Implementation Committee (SIC) under the Chairmanship of Uche Agu has finalised the modalities for the sensitisation, mobilisation and recruitment of the 3000 participants into the programme.

    The coordinator said that the SIC shall hold meetings once every month to ensure the successful execution of the programme in the 17 Local Government of Areas of Enugu state. He said that to ensure fairness and address specific target objectives, the 3000 participants shall be drawn from all the wards in the Council areas of Enugu State while 30 per cent of the participants must be women and vulnerable persons shall constitute 20 per cent of the total for the purpose of equity.

     

  • PIB’ll promote investment, employment, says Amaechi

    Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi yesterday urged the National Assembly to speed up the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

    He said it would promote investment and employment opportunities.

    Amaechi spoke at the Government House in Port Harcourt while hosting the House of Representatives’ Committee on Air Force.

    He said the PIB would curb the security challenges in the country.

    Amaechi said: “The PIB, if passed into law, will allow investors come into the country for the overall benefit of all Nigerians. This is so because if we do not enact a law that would attract investors, we cannot progress. Right now, investors are heading towards Angola and we must seek ways of attracting them.”

    The governor urged the Federal Government to make the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) a regulatory agency and give wider opportunities to the private sector to participate in investment.

    He said: “As a governor, I do not know the quantity of oil NNPC produces daily. This is why government should be a regulatory agency and allow investors come in. I think it would facilitate the needed peace in the country.

    Amaechi called for the amendment of the constitution to ensure justice, fairness and transparent leadership.

    He said: “That is why I said we need state police to complement the Nigerian Police. We need to amend the constitution to ensure fairness and justice. We must go above ethnic and parochial interest to guarantee transparency in leadership.”

    Chairman of the House Committee on Air Force Kenneth Archibong said: “We are proud of your numerous achievements, including the 35 patrol vehicles you donated to security formations in the state. We are not in doubt of the sustainable peace in the state and we urge other governors to emulate your enviable gesture.’