Everything We Know about FG Planned Creation of 774000 Jobs

With over 50% of youths being unemployed, the Federal Government of Nigeria, earlier this year, announced the planned creation of 774,000 jobs through the Special Public Works Programme to tackle unemployment and here is everything we know about the mass recruitment so far.

First, the Minister of state for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo appeared before the Senate’s joint labour committee to defend the scheme’s creation and its legality as regards the non-involvement of the National Directorate of Employment.

Notably, the session was heated. The Minister revealed that the senators were allegedly derailing the project in order to earn more slots, despite the fact that 15% of the jobs (116,000) had been reportedly awarded to the lawmakers.

No agreement was reached, and the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige was invited to the floor for further clarification. Mr. Ngige’s session was, in itself, a dramatic with a face-off between him and Senator James Faleke.

An apology was later tendered on behalf of Festus Keyamo to the lawmakers and a resolution was made to give a go-ahead to the proposed job creation on the condition that Mr. Keyamo is excluded from it.

Here are the inner workings of the mass employment scheme:

• The scheme seeks to employ 1,000 people from each of the 774 local governments of the country.
• 52 billion naira has been approved in the newly revised budget for the engagement of 774,000 job seekers in Nigeria.
• The rancor between the Minister and the joint labour committee seemingly unfazed the federal government as a broadcast was made via the government’s official Twitter account, announcing the inauguration of the job scheme.

• The National Directorate of Employment likewise announced that the Special Public Works programme had been inducted as part of its four core programmes.
• Proposed start of the recruitment process is October 1, 2020.
• It is for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled people. The only requirement is to be a Nigerian and be unemployed.
• The job description entails environmental sanitation and infrastructural repairs.

• It is expected to run through three months.
• Each of the 1,000 people per LGA employed would be paid 20,000 per month for the duration of the scheme.

ETA: The Federal Government has approved November 1 for the commencement of the Special Works Public Programme.

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Staff Writer

This article was written and edited by a staff writer.