National employment policy to focus on youth employment – Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday disclosed that the ongoing review of the National Employment Policy would focus on youth employment.

Osinbajo gave the hint while delivering a keynote address at the ‘Nigeria Job Creation Summit’ organised by Policy Development Facility Phase II, Department for International Development, World Bank and Federal Public Administration Reform Programme Nigeria, held in Abuja.

The Vice President, who was represented by James Ocholi, minister of state for labour and employment, said the present administration would unveil the National Policy on Entrepreneurship Development in 2016.

“The Federal Government has taken a number of measures to address the challenges of unemployment in line with the determination of avoiding pitfalls of past approaches, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has been directed to quickly conclude ongoing review of the National Employment Policy with focus on youth employment,” he said.

He said the ad-hoc and uncoordinated entrepreneurship development in which the present administration inherited cannot meaningfully address the challenges of providing a critical mass of modern entrepreneurs for the economy.

“To address these challenges, the Federal Government will in 2016 come up with a National Policy on Entrepreneurship Development.

“This will provide a framework that will guide all stakeholders and ultimately pave way for emergence of critical mass of entrepreneurs to jump start the economy and create mass employment,” he said.

Speaking further, he emphasised that inclusive and sustainable growth would not be possible if millions of people were denied opportunity to earn a living in environment of equity and dignity.

“For countries at all levels of development, an adequate supply of jobs is the foundation of sustained and growing prosperity, inclusion and social cohesion. Where jobs are scarce there is less growth, less security and less human and economic development.”

In his presentation, the National Programme Manager of the Federal Public Administration Reform Programme Nigeria (FEPAR), Ben Arikpo noted that unemployment posed serious threats to youth development adding that so many youths enter the labour market annually.