Efforts of the Federal Government at reversing the unacceptable trend of youths unemployment in Nigeria has received a further boost, as Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in partnership with the African Development Bank (AFDB), commenced work on a program plan termed Youth Employment and Skills Development in Nigeria, Public-Private Roundtable.
Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment who disclosed this during an interactive session with a team of experts from African Development Bank, led by Rosemond Offei Awuke, Chief Development Economist, Human Capital Youth and Skills Development, affirmed that the problem of youth unemployment is very serious in Nigeria and other Africa countries.
“The youths constitute a larger proportion of Nigeria’s Population; the pertinent question, therefore, is how many of these youths are fully employed, underemployed and unemployed?
“Alarmingly, the majority of Nigerian youths are in the underemployed and unemployed categories,” he noted.
Ngige emphasized that the Public-Private Sector roundtable would help to identify the factors responsible for high youth unemployment, and make recommendations that would address the daunting challenges associated with it, as well as seek to implement most of the recommendations with a view to reverse the ugly trend of rising youth unemployment in Nigeria.
The Minister assured the African Development Bank team that President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve towards creating the much needed decent jobs for Nigeria youths, adding that the quantum jobs being created through various intervention programmes such, as the N-Power further contribute to the gains.
“We assure you that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to all efforts aimed at job creation for the teeming unemployed Nigerian youths. I have no doubt that from this roundtable meaningful solutions will be provided on youth employment,” Ngige assured.
Speaking earlier, Rosemond Offei Awuke, Chief Development Economist, Human Capital Youth and Skills Development, applauded the Minister for his unwavering commitment to the fight against youth unemployment.
She avowed the determination of the African Development Bank to support the present administration in its drive at job creation.
