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Tag: job creation

  • Fed Govt inaugurates team on job creation

    The Federal Government has inaugurated a multi-sectoral task team on the implementation of the public-private roundtable on youth employment and skills development.

    The team has the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, as chairman, representative of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), Office of the Vice President, as alternate chairperson, and a representative of the private sector as co-chairperson.

    While inaugurating the 20-man team, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Prof. Stephen Ocheni, said the Federal Government was poised to reverse the ugly trend of youth unemployment through the involvement of stakeholders in a round table on youth employment and skills development in partnership with the African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Prof. Ocheni said, “The task team is saddled with the responsibility to convene a private sector round table engagement as an exchange platform towards the identification and financing of eight priority projects for accelerated youth employment and skills development. Further expectations are that the work of the team would key into the aspirations of the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERPG) of the present administration and also boost the rate of attainment of the relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country.”

    He decried the country’s inability to translate youth innovations into gainful employment opportunities, wealth creation and sustainable development.

  • Job Creation: Obaseki assures Edo youths of preference

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has assured qualified youths in the state of preferential treatment in the new economic order taking shape in the state.

    Obaseki gave the assurance during the courtesy visit by the Association of Esan Professionals (AEP), at Government House, in Benin City.

    He said that youths sponsored by AEP for training on welding and fabrication would be linked to firms where their skills would be put to effective use.

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    “I want to assure you that we will support you and give priority to the youth whose training on welding and fabrication you sponsored, particularly on the projects we are working on.

    “I believe that the modular refinery where work has already started will require fabrication work. We will be introducing them to our partners in that transaction,” the governor told his guests.

    He commended members of the association for sponsoring youths for the training, noting, “I thank you for your selflessness and interest in our people. You have been able to raise money from your own resources to train youth on welding and fabrication and it is most commendable.”

    “Thank you for the effort you are making. I want to inform you that we will obtain their data for our job portal, EdoJobs, and see how we can match them with jobs in the state,” he added.

    Earlier, President of the association, Mr. Sam Obaze, explained that the group’s decision to sponsor 10 youths from Esanland at the Petroleum Technology Institute (PTI) in Warri, was to complement governor Obaseki’s initiative to engage youths in productive activity.

    Obaze said, “I wish to reiterate that your desire to engage Edo youths productively received a boost when 10 Esan youths, sponsored by our association, were decorated with PTI’s Skills Acquisition Proficiency Certificates in welding and fabrication, after nine months of training.”

    He commended the governor for reinstating the Onojie of Uromi, noting, “the people of Esanland thank you most sincerely for this gesture and wish to assure you of our continuous and sustained support.”

  • Fed Govt partners AfDB on job creation

    The Federal Government has partnered Africa Development Bank (AfDB) to reduce unemployment in the country.

    The government said it plans to engage stakeholders and the AfDB in a roundtable discussion on youth employment and skills development.

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, disclosed this at the inauguration of the multi-sectoral task team on public-private roundtable on youth employment and skills development yesterday in Abuja.

    Represented by the Minister of State, Prof. Stephen Ocheni, he said the roundtable would have a rich private sector participation due to the widely acknowledged higher potentials for job creation by the sector.

    He said: “The Federal Government, in its continued efforts to respond to the unacceptable situation and reverse trend, has therefore, entered into partnership with the AfDB Group to engage a broad-spectrum of stakeholders in a Roundtable discussion on Youth Employment and Skills Development in Nigeria.

    “The work of the team would key into the aspiration of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of the present administration and also boost the rate of attainment of the relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country.”

    The minister said Nigeria was yet to harness its population potential through productive engagement.

    The Senior Director for the AfDB, Ebrima Faal, said only 77.55 million of Nigeria’s 85.08 million labour force are engaged in some sort of economic activity.

    Represented by, Abdullahi Imoru, he said: “Of the 85.08 million of Nigeria’s labour force, 77.55 million are engaged in some sort of economic activity. This leaves out 7.53 million people doing absolutely nothing.

    “Nigeria has to realise the potential of its youths, create jobs for them or support them to create jobs for themselves; hence the critical importance of entrepreneurship. Hence the key role of the private sector.

    “In 2016, The AfDB adopted a Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy, with the goal to create 25 million jobs and equip 15 million youth in Africa with employable skills in ten years.  From 2016 to date, the bank has invested over $400 million in both public and private operations that will promote jobs for the youth in the country.”

    Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote said: “Although the Federal Ministry of Labour has the mandate to create the enabling environment and coordinate activities on job creation and skills development in the country, we recognise the fact that employment matters are cross cutting in all the sector of the economy.”

  • Monarch hails Euro Global for job creation

    The Olota of Ota in Ogun State, Oba (Prof) Adeyemi Abdukabir Obalanlege, has lauded the contributions of Euro Global Foods and Distilleries Limited for creating jobs for the teeming youths of Awori Kingdom.

    The monarch also said the company had been boosting the local economy of its host community.

    Oba Obalanlege, who spoke during a visit to the company’s corporate head office in Sango-Otta, also toured the premises of the distillery giant.

    The monarch expressed delight that Euro Global Foods and Distilleries Limited was operating within his kingdom, adding that the company did not only have the capacity to locally source for its raw materials but also capable of exporting such products in line with international standards.

    He said: “I am delighted that this is existing in this town. Ordinarily, walking around, you would not know that we have a fully automated factory like this with international standard producing products that are being exported to other countries right here.

    “They are sourcing their raw materials locally. This has helped in boosting the economic growth and activities, not only for the farmers but also for indigenes of this community.

    “This is the kind of factories that we are ready to support in this country. Then, being the Olota of Ota, I am assuring the Euro Global Group that I am always ready to assist them at all times. I also want to thank them for employing our youths. My prayer is that they should grow more so that they can employ more of our youths.”

    Oba Obalanlege congratulated the company for producing Seaking Schnapps, its flagship brand, sating it is one of the best brands of Schnapps consumed in the community.

    He said: “People presented Seaking Schnapps to me as a gift during my coronation, but I never knew it is being produced right here. So, coming here today and I saw it, I am happy that it is being made here. I must thank Euro Global Foods and Distilleries Limited for doing that.”

    The Chairman of Sona Group of Industries, Mr. Arjan Mirchandani, said Euro Global Foods and Distilleries Limited was ready to do more for the community.

    He said the company had about 4,000 workers and was hoping to employ additional 2,000 to boosts it workforce.

    According to him, the company will not only contribute to the economic growth of Awori Kingdom but will also ensure that it impacts the lives of the people through its Corporate Social Responsibly (CSR) programmes.

    The highpoint of the monarch’s visit was the pouring of libation by High Chief Isiaka Idowu Balogun, “the Balogun of Ota Kingdom”.

     

  • Anele tasks FG to investment in education, job creation

    A Senior Lecturer at the Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos, Professor Douglas Anele, has advised the federal government to invest more in education, job creation and youth development.

    He spoke at the mental wellness conference and launch of a book titled unbroken channeling the power of the mind by John Shaibu Consulting in Lagos.

    He said the future of Nigeria does not lie in crude oil, exploration of mineral resources but in motivating youths so that they can unleash their creative potentials for national productivity.

    He said it is lamentable successive administrations have not paid so much attention in mobilising youths for economic and social transformation.

    “Our politicians are busy chasing shadows acquiring wealth they do not need and Nigerian youths are left to fend for themselves,” he stressed.

    Anele noted the moral ecological compass of the nation is highly polluted with leaders cutting corners and allowing nepotism to reign.

    He argued that Nigerian youths are hardworking, ingenuous, resilient and willing to defy the odds to succeed but need the right support systems to fly.

    He implored youths to ignore negatives from government and see what they can do with their lives and the society at large.

    John Shaibu said the book was written to provide support tools for young people on skill acquisition, counselling and identity definition.

  • ‘Skills development among youths ’ll promote job creation’

    Consumers Protection Council (CPC) Director-General Mr Babatunde Irukera has stressed the need to train youths in specialised skills.

    He said this would accelerate job creation and reduce skills gap through the mobilisation of investments between the public and private sectors.

    Speaking during the maiden edition of the Progressive Minds Forum (PMF) in Lagos, he advised youths to refrain from cyber crimes and deploy their creative energy to productive ventures.

    “Never in our history were fraud or any form of criminal activity celebrated as they are being daily celebrated today.

    “It is no longer a secret that the preponderance of Nigerian youths think that the quickest and easiest route to wealth is the infamous ‘yahoo yahoo’,” Irukera added.

    The CPC chief urged the youth  to explore their talents in the best possible ways they could rather than blaming all the problems on the environment.

    He said the forum, comprising a group of professionals, discovered that the myriad challenges facing the country began with negative mindsets that people had from young age.

    He called on youths to develop their talents for the benefit of the society positively.

    He said a country’s approach to innovations and creativity would determine how far it could grow, adding that the right mindset to such growth was to think through the nation’s talents.

    PMF Chief Coordinator, Mrs Omotayo Gbajabiamila-Olamona said  the country would get quality delivery from youths when they were prodded in the right direction.

    Gbajabiamila-Olamona said investment in infrastructure, without same in human capacity, would not make the country to get expected successful result.

  • Ooni backs Ibiyemi on job creation, others

    The Ooni of Ife in Osun State, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has endorsed the youth empowerment programme  and 40,000 job creation of a governorship aspirant in the state, Dr Samuel Ibiyemi.

    The frontline monarch gave the endorsement  at the weekend when Ibiyemi and his campaign team visited him in his palace in Ile Ife.

    Oba Ogunwusi noted that Ibiyemi’s proposed youth empowerment and 40,000 jobs under the All Progressives Congress ( APC)  deserved the support of all stakeholders.

    The monarch said Ibiyemi’s programme showed his good plans and knowledge of the tasks ahead to take over from Governor Rauf Aregbesola in this year’s election.

    “I am not disappointed  by the  quality of Ibiyemi’s  great presentation  here today. It is a combination of his wealth of military experience in Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and global integration as an international business journalist…”

     

     

     

     

  • LSEFT hails firm on job creation

    The Lagos State Employability Trust Fund (LSETF) has praised Bia Live well for providing jobs for 50 youths.

    The firm, LSETF said, has grown from one outlet to three.

    Bia Live Well is a bar with fruit cocktails, selling fresh juices, smoothies and frozen yoghurts, with the cocktails made from fresh berries and fruits.

    At the launching of its new outlet at Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, LSETF Stakeholders Management and Communication Officer Joaquim MacEbong explained that the agency funds businesses with the aim that they are going to grow, adding that the new outlet and the new people that are going to receive jobs is exactly what LSETF aims to achieve.

    “This is one particular business that we are really proud of because when we funded it initially, it had only one outlet but has now grown to become three. As a result of this, the outlets have employed more people and it is doing much better which is exactly what we are always joyous of,” he said.

    Joaquim admonished budding entrepreneurs to be focused, gain knowledge by knowing what the market wants and also be courageous, saying that there are lots of challenges in business.

    MacEbong said the agency is exerting all its efforts in trying to improve the environment for businesses to thrive in Lagos, assuring that with enough focus people will continue to survive business-wise.

    Explaining the duties of the agency, he said “we provide loan facilities and organise trainings for unemployed youths. The Loan program is for three sets – SMEs where you can borrow a maximum of N5 million; Micro enterprises where you can borrow N500,000; and startups, those who do not have any businesses but have  training certificates are eligible to borrow N250,000. All these are at five percent annual retainment”

    He added that the agency is also helping people who do not have jobs to get trainings in order for them to get employed through their employability support programme.

     

     

     

  • ‘Job creation, central to attaining SDGs’

    Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) President, Comrade Oyinkan Olasanoye has said job creation is the key factor for poverty reduction, lives improvement, and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

    Olasanoye, therefore, urged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for the private sector to create jobs.

    She said: “Creating more jobs requires economic transformation that would open up opportunities to move workers from lower to higher productivity activities. It also means a spatial transformation with urbanisation pulling villagers into secondary towns and cities.

    “This shift will need to be led by the private sector, the main engine of job growth. For this to happen on a scale large enough, government needs to look at what has worked best to create jobs, focusing on sectors that have the highest potential.

    “Agriculture still accounts for almost 70 per cent of total employment in the country. The challenge here is for agriculture and the food system to generate high value-added jobs across the value chain, especially for women and youth,” he told The Nation in Lagos.

    The ASSBIFI chief said manufacturing, which has driven economic growth in many countries, is changing with new technologies and shifting patterns of globalisation.

    “While some industries remain feasible entry points for low-skill employment, technological innovations could cause substantial job losses,” she said.

    She said governments needed to take public policy actions to create an enabling environment.

    “Government at all levels need to invest in education, from early childhood to adulthood, to build the human capital needed for a rapidly evolving global economy. They need to build quality infrastructure to connect domestically and globally. They need to set up the right ecosystem for private investments, especially for smaller businesses and entrepreneurs,” she said.

     

     

    She said China has in recent decades, succeeded in creating millions of employment opportunities and absorbing millions of new entrants into its labour market, while transforming its economy and society. According to her, China’s path offers useful lessons for others as it has moved higher on the global value chain; China is also creating fresh opportunities for other developing countries.

    “We call on the Federal Government to work with China to share lessons of job creation and economic transformation and use them to support other developing countries. By looking closely at these successes, the Federal Government can identify what other governments can do to generate incomes and create jobs, by engaging the private sector and unleashing people’s energy and creativity,”she said.

     

     

  • Osinbajo lauds entertainers for job creation

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has praised Nigerian entertainers for their creativity and job creation.

    He spoke at The Platform, a programme organised by The Covenant Place which had as its theme, ‘Get Involved.’

    At the event which held in Iganmu, Lagos, Osinbajo said the task of nation-building is unending.

    “The builders confront new problems every day,” he said.

    “Today, we are confronted with the remnants of Boko Haram, the farmer/herdsman clashes with the potential of ethnoreligious conflict. And we have to feed ourselves, we provide millions of new jobs as everyday, more people are added to the population. The job of the builder is not to complain.”

    Earlier in his speech, the Vice President recognized the creative talents of the entertainment sector and gave kudos to the likes of Don Jazzy of Mavin Records, Banky W, Olamide, Davido, Elenu, Tiwa Savage, and Mo Abudu among others, for putting Nigeria on the global entertainment map. He also praised Jason Njoku of Iroko TV who created an online streaming portal that showcased Nollywood to the world.

    Speaking on the way out, Osinbajo said the solution lies in building the Nigerian bridge.

    “It is one that would be built on the strongest materials of all – our will to excel as Nigerians, our commitment to build a new society, men and women of a new Nigerian tribe.”

    The VP rounded off his speech by giving ‘accolades’ to hardworking Nigerians to which he received a thunderous applause from the crowd.