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Tag: youth employment

  • Fed Govt seeks increased support for youth employment, social security

    Fed Govt seeks increased support for youth employment, social security

    The federal government has urged the leadership of the International Labour Organization (ILO) to support youth employment and social security in Nigeria.

    This is even as the government pushed for the engagements of Nigerian professionals at ILO.

    Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha made the appeal during a meeting with the Director-General of ILO, Gilbert Houngbo, in Geneva, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the 350th Session of the ILO Governing Body.

    The Minister, who represented the federal government, congratulated Houngbo as the first African DG of the ILO for over 100 years of its establishment, assuring him of President Bola Tinubu’s support and cooperation on strategic partnership.

    She also commended Houngbo’s achievements, including promoting social justice and fighting inequalities in the world of work. She also commended the ILO’s successful implementation of programs in Nigeria, particularly those focused on youth employment, a key priority for President Bola Tinunu’s administration.

    In a statement by her special adviser on media, Emameh Gabriel on Thursday in Abuja, the minister said: “We are seeing your handwork on labour relations, and we are proud of you as the first African DG, after 100 years.

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    “We will require technical assistance from you, in the departments in our Ministry, especially in the areas of digitalisation.

    “Nigeria is the second highest African contributor to the ILO budget (next to South Africa), thus the need to be more involved and strategically placed in the ILO. We therefore specially request that more Nigerian professionals be employed into the ILO to bridge the under-representation of Nigeria in the ILO workforce, both locally and internationally.”

    The minister informed the ILO DG that Nigeria was vying for re-election into the GB of the ILO as Regular Member for the 2024-2027 Triennium, and sought the support of the ILO.

    “Nigeria currently contributes the second-highest amount among African nations to the ILO budget, and Minister Onyejeocha requested increased collaboration and representation.

    “This includes seeking more technical support for the development of youth employment programs and skills development initiatives,” the statement said.

    “Additionally, Nigeria requested the ILO’s assistance in upgrading the ILO office in Abuja to a “Decent Work Office” serving English-speaking West Africa.

    Developing action plans for the implementation of recently ratified ILO Conventions. Digitalising and strengthening the country’s labour inspection system. Building capacity for Nigerian labour ministry officials.

    “Increasing the number of Nigerian professionals employed by the ILO.

    Nigeria also announced its candidacy for re-election to the ILO Governing Body for the 2024-2027 triennium and requested the ILO’s support.

    “The Minister concluded by reiterating Nigeria’s commitment to partnering with the ILO to promote decent work and social justice for all Nigerians,” the statement added.

    The ILO DG extolled Onyejeocha and Nigerians at the ILO, saying they have made good records of themselves.

    He promised that the ILO would continue to provide support for the country.

    He said: “I am happy to see a woman as a Labour Minister from Nigeria and a former parliamentarian. Extend my greetings to the President of Nigeria, Bola. Actually, Bola in my place means God that is why I will always remember his name.

    “Your representatives here in ILO are doing well, and Nigeria as our partner will continue to have our support on labour relations.”

  • Fed Govt seeks partnership with AfDB on youth employment

    The Federal Government has stressed the need to deepen partnership with the African Development Bank (AFDB) on ongoing projects, aimed at generating youth employment.

    Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, William Alo, stated this while speaking at the Review of Country Strategy Papers (2013 – 2019) and launch of the Preparations for the New Country Strategy Paper (2020 – 2024) between the AfDB and the Ministry.

    Alo called for more funding for the two projects in which the Ministry is in partnership with AfDB, and proposed the inclusion of some intervention projects in the 2020 – 2024 Strategy Paper.

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    He said the Ministry has been working in partnership with AfDB on two projects since last year, one of which is the Public-Private Partnership for Youth Employment and Skills Development, aimed at implementing eight priority projects, across relevant sectors, to boost massive job creation and skills development among the teeming unemployed youths in the country.

  • APC candidate to boost agric, youth employment

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Katsina Central Senatorial District Candidate, Kabir Abdullahi Barkiya has promised to boost agric produce and facilitate job opportunities to the people of his district.

    Barkiya defeated the incumbent senator representing the district, Ibrahim Umar Kurfi, to become APC flagbearer.

    He polled 1,466 votes to beat Col Abdulrazeez Yar’Adua (retd), who scored 913 votes, Senator Ibrahim Ida – 897 and Senator Kurfi – 141

    Barkiya, the former Managing Director of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and former Director of Federal Highways Southwest zone, had Masters in Civil Engineering.

    He thanked members of the APC for making him the party’s candidate.

    “This is just the first stage of the journey. The second stage, which is the biggest challenge, stirs us in the face like a full moon. I want you to start mobilising members of the public for the next year’s general election. We need to consolidate the victory at primary election by winning the main election. I trust you all to deliver victory for our great party,” he said.

    Barkiya urged his co-contestants to join hands with him to move the state forward.

    “In any contest, there will be winner and loser but in this situation of ours, we are all winners because our common goal is to develop our district and Katsina State in general. I will work my colleagues to ensure that the APC clinches the senatorial seat in 2019,” he said.

    The civil and highway engineering consultant promised better representation at the Red Chamber if elected next year.

    According to him, youth empowerment will be one of his cardinal goals at the Senate.

    “Our population is increasing by the day. We need to get our youths busy with positive things that will aid the development of our country. If our youths are engaged, they won’t be misled and crimes will reduce drastically in our communities. With this, we can woo foreign investors and create more jobs for our teeming population,” he said.

    Barkiya said the investors can take advantage of abundance resources in the state to make good returns for their investments.

    “For example, we have mango in abundance. Foreigners with technical know-how can tap into that to invest in mango juice and other things they could derive from mango.

    “It can also be exported, hence earning more foreign currencies and boasting our economy. Since the Federal Government is doing much to diversify our economy, I wish the Minister of Agriculture Chief Audu Ogbeh looks into this direction. The Federal Government can help our farmers with necessary training, capacity building seminars and provision of raw materials to grow mangoes that would meet international standard,” he said.

  • ‘I’ll boost agric, youth employment’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Katsina Central Senatorial District, Kabir Abdullahi Barkiya, has promised to boost agriculture and facilitate job opportunities for his people.

    Barkiya defeated incumbent Senator Ibrahim Umar Kurfi. He polled 1,466 votes to beat Col Abdulrazeez Yar’Adua (rtd) who scored 913 votes, Senator Ibrahim Ida (897) and Senator Kurfi (141).

    Barkiya said: “This is just the first stage of the journey. The second stage, which is the biggest challenge, stares us in the face like a full moon. I want you to start mobilising the people against next year’s election. We need to consolidate the victory at primary election by winning the main election. I trust you all to deliver victory for our great party.”

    Barkiya urged his co-contestants to support him to move the state forward, and promised better representation at the Red Chamber if elected.

    He said: “Our population is increasing by the day; we need to get our youths busy with positive things that will aid the development of our country. If our youths are engaged, they won’t be misled and crime will reduce. With this, we can woo foreign investors and create more jobs for our population,” he said.

  • ‘Prioritise youth employment’

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has charged  the Federal Government to priorotise the creation of employment opportunities for the nation’s youths in this year’s budget.

    The group warned that if the unemployment situation was not tackled headlong, it might become a time bomb.

    Its President, Comrade Bobboi  Bala Kaigama, spoke to reporters in Lagos on how  the Subsidy for Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) of the Federal Government, may affect youth empowerment.

    He said: “Going by the government’s position on austerity measures as  policies to tighten government expenditure, close loopholes that cause revenue losses and a gross reduction of budget deficits during adverse economic conditions, we call on the government to priorotise the creation of job opportunities for youths in the country as the 2015 budget  for now, is not certain on youth empowerment.

    “This is because the threats for the subsidy for reinvestment and empowerment programme (SURE-P) of Federal Government is an externality to the aggregate 2015 appropriation bill, and it may be adversely affected by the global oil slump, since except the oil price rises, the landing cost of fuel will still be low, leaving little savings for SURE-P that has to do with youth empowerment.”

    Kaigama, who argued that the rate of unemployment in the country is one of the highest in the world, lamented that at 24 per cent, particularly with over 50 per cent of the youth in the urban areas unemployed, the government must review its policies to arrest the unemployment challenges before it gets out of hand.

    “There is an urgent need for the government to show more concern by reviewing its policies on youth entrepreneurship as the high unemployment rate among youth in Nigeria, especially young women has negative effect on our country’s development agenda, particularly as we approach this year’s general elections.

  • NDE to generate youth employment in 20 states – D-G

    NDE to generate youth employment in 20 states – D-G

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has selected 20 states for its Graduate Coaching Scheme in the bid to reduce unemployment among graduates.

    The directorate said in Katsina over the weekend that the scheme would also help deficient secondary school leavers to qualify for admission into tertiary institutions.

    The NDE Director-General, Malam Abubakar Muhammad, disclosed this at the launch of the second phase of the scheme.

    Muhammad, who was represented by the Director, Special Public Works, Mr Don Umoru, said the scheme would also improve graduates’ teaching skills.

    He said that under the scheme, the graduates would be employed to teach secondary school leavers who could not obtain requirements to higher institutions of learning.

    According to him, that training would enable the trainees to pass their Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) and further their studies.

    Muhammad said that the scheme would also curtail indulgence of both the trainers and the trainees in armed robbery, prostitution and other social vices as well as enable them contribute to nation building.

    He said that the directorate’s impact analysis revealed that the 2013 beneficiaries recorded about 75 per cent success in WAEC and NECO examinations.

    The director-general said that the scheme’s duration was three months and solicited for the support of other stakeholders to expand the duration to cover all the relevant syllabi.

    He said that a centre had been opened in each of the three senatorial zones of the participating states.

    The beneficiary states include Adamawa, Anambra, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Rivers, Gombe and Ekiti.

    Others are Jigawa, Lagos, Niger, Imo, Plateau, Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Ogun and Oyo as well as the FCT.

    Muhammad urged the trainers and trainees to intensify efforts to attain the desired goals.