President Muhammadu Buhari’s second tenure appears to hold strong hopes for the economy as the Federal Government just indicated it will generate about 20 million jobs from four key sectors of the Nigerian economy.

 

Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting on strategies for job creation by the federal government, organized by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) on Monday, May 27, 2019 in Abuja.

 

Enelamah, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in his ministry, Edet Sunday, stated that this move was to further strengthen the drive to curtail the country’s rising unemployment by creating jobs and providing employable skills for the teeming youths, through the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

 

He charged the ITF to come up with revolutionary multi-faceted job and wealth creation strategies that would lead to a lasting solution to the hydra-headed problem of unemployment in the country.

 

According to him, “In order to sustain and build on the successes recorded in this regard in the first tenure of Mr President, we are articulating and strategising with a renewed impetus towards combating the twin evils of unemployment and insecurity.”

 

He said: ”I am glad to inform this distinguished audience that the ITF has done justice to the task assigned to them. From the report I have received, the ITF has been able to propose pragmatic strategies that within tenure of the next level, will generate about 20 million jobs from four key sectors of the Nigerian economy.”

 

These key sectors are the agriculture, construction, transport and the services sectors. The report, which is to be presented to us shortly by the ITF Director-General, forms the crux of this meeting.

 

“The meeting will be expected to examine all the aspects of the report with a view to dissecting all the recommendations therein and proffering additional strategies and action plan that will lead to jobs for all Nigerians.”

 

Earlier, the Director General/Chief Executive of ITF, Joseph Ari had lamented that unemployment had resulted in “needless incidences of violence, criminality and social vices perpetrated by persons that ordinarily should be contributing significantly to the development of our dear nation.”

 

Ari, however, maintained that there had been visible evidences of the federal government’s efforts at getting Nigerians engaged through various social investment programmes such as the N-Power, Trader-Moni, Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP), and Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSF), as well as numerous skills acquisition programmes being implemented by ITF and other agencies.

 

“The federal government has done enough to be applauded,” he said. According to Ari, the fund has equipped over 450,000 Nigerians with life skills and empowered all the beneficiaries with start-up packs within the last two years.

 

He added that over 80 per cent of the number is currently earning sustainable livelihoods in either paid employment or are successful entrepreneurs who are employing others.