The Federal Government is seeking to collaborate with the government of India to boost Nigeria’s skill acquisition centres, aimed at enhancing job creation, just as India has hinted it would be exploring the possibility of direct flight to Nigeria.
These were part of the discussions between Nigeria’s minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige and the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Abhay Thakur, when the later visited the minister in Abuja.
According to Ngige, over 5000 skill acquisition centres are currently scattered across Nigeria and their resuscitation would assist the Nigerian government create more jobs and entrepreneurs, a task he said the Indian government can partner with Nigeria to achieve, by keying into the local content capacity programme for a win-win; jobs for Nigerians and profits for Indians.
The minister called for the revival of the labour capacity building programme, an exchange programme between Nigeria and India, which trained a lot of Nigerian labour officers in Indian labour institutes, as part of technical assistance to Nigeria; which was rested in 2013.
Ngige also urged the Indian government to protect Nigerians working in India by providing labour protection and ease of doing business for Nigerians living in India.
“Nigeria and India have a lot in common and a robust relationship that has span many years in the area of trade, education, labour, foreign affairs and there is need to further strengthen the bilateral relationship” he said.
The Indian diplomat, Thakur, commended Nigerian government for providing an enabling working environment for Indians to conduct their businesses in the country.
He said his country would be willing to Nigerians in Indian labour institutes, as well as maximise the use of local content or services in running their businesses in Nigeria.
The high commissioner affirmed that the two countries have excellent relationship and India was looking at the possibilities of having a direct flight from Nigeria to India.
JOSHUA BASSEY
