The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, said yesterday that militancy, kidnapping and other social vices in the country would drastically reduce if the federal and the sub-national governments create jobs for the citizenry.
It also advised that the government create sustainable and not casual jobs, which pay would not sustain a worker for a month.
This is as the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, said President Bola Tinubu was committed to fulfilling his administration’s promise to build a Nigeria where members of the workforce could attain their full potential.
Speaking at the official launch of the Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme, LEEP, in Abuja, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said employment remained the best way to cope with social crisis in the country.
While noting that people meaningfully engaged would not think of indulging in social vices, Ajaero said: “I want to acknowledge the programme today (yesterday), we in the labour movement identify with any programme that enhances employment. And employment is the best way to cope with our social crisis.
“People that are engaged, people that are working will not think of other social crises. The level of militancy, kidnapping will be reduced to the barest minimum if we create jobs. And that is why the labour movement identifies with this.
“If this is properly implemented, Nigeria will be heaven of sort. And I want to say, at any stage where the input of the labour movement is required, where our assistance is required, we’ll be there because it will benefit the people of Nigeria.
“In the same vein, I pray that it will be a programme that will bring sustainable jobs, not casual jobs, not jobs that the wages will not be able to take you home.”
While launching the LEEP initiative, the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, said the administration was up-skilling and re-skilling the citizens to prepare them for both jobs that are available and those ahead.
He noted that the national initiative “is designed to expand employment opportunities, equip Nigerians with critical skills, and drive economic empowerment through innovation and technology.
“LEEP is the fulfilment of the promise made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to build a national ecosystem where every Nigerian worker can reach his full potential, and where technology enhances, not threatens our labour market.”
Shettima observed that the government could not have boasted of investing in the citizens unless it was committed to building a system that helped and encouraged their search for work as well as equip them to grow on the job.
He stated: “The future of work in Nigeria is one that must compel us to rethink the dynamics of a rapidly evolving world. Across continents, the very idea of what constitutes a job is being redefined. Machines are replacing hands. Artificial intelligence is challenging intellects.
“Traditional employment structures are giving way to fluid, digital ecosystems. Yet, within this uncertainty lies a sea of opportunity, if only we are bold enough to sail it.”
On what the administration intended to achieve with the LEEP, Shettima said: “The Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme, LEEP, is a well-considered response to a pressing national need. As jobs become increasingly vulnerable to technological disruption, our duty is not to lament but to prepare.
“LEEP aims to provide comprehensive training that equips our people with the right skills to compete and contribute to today’s global economy.”
Earlier in his remarks, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State pledged the support and commitment of governors to the successful implementation of the programme.
He said if the scheme was religiously implemented, the economy would be significantly impacted through the reduction in unemployment and criminality and productive engagement of the citizenry.
On her part, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs Onyejeocha, said the programme was aimed at expanding access to sustainable employment and stimulating vocational training, noting that the current unemployment statistics were a clear and imminent danger for the country’s future.
She explained that while LEEP was an institutional shift targeted at enhancing training, upskilling and connecting Nigerians to sustainable jobs across different sectors, it would require the collaboration of all stakeholders for the scheme to be successful.
In his goodwill message, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, said unemployment was among the severe social problems facing youths globally, either directly or remotely, with far-reaching consequences that had multi-faceted implications that could not be ignored. He said: “In Nigeria, this can be attributed to various reasons, which include economic instability due to recessions and depressions, inadequate quality education and training to match available jobs, as well as the difficult circumstances that businesses operate in, which are not conducive for creating new jobs.’’
In his remarks, the Director General of the National Directorate of Employment, Mr Silas Agara, said LEEP was a bold step by the administration of President Tinubu to decisively address the challenge of unemployment in Nigeria and reposition employment in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration.
He said LEEP was carefully articulated by the ministry of labour and employment, in collaboration with its parastatals, to, among other goals, equip young Nigerians with employability skills in the bid to create wealth and contribute to the economic development of the country by creating 2.5 million jobs in two years.
The International Labour Organisation, ILO, Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and ECOWAS Liaison Office, Ms. Vanessa Phala, described the programme as Nigeria’s commitment to shaping the lives of its youths.
“This marks a turning point for our youths to contribute to the growth and development of this country,” she said.
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