FG launches new programme, targets 2.5 million direct jobs

The Federal Government has said the Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme (LEEP), a flagship of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, was capable of creating at least 2.5 million direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians.

The LEEP programme targets zero hunger, zero poverty, economic growth and decent jobs through six strategic initiatives namely; digital skills initiative, vocational entrepreneurship skills programmes, infrastructural upgrade, NELEX upgrade for employment acceleration, global remote work initiative and labour compliance enhancement.

At the unveiling of the programme in Abuja, Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, urged development partners such as the World Bank, GIZ, the European Union, UNIDO and the Bank of Industry to support the drive of the current administration to mitigate the hardship Nigerians were undergoing.

Onyejeocha, who insisted that poverty could be eradicated from Nigeria, maintained that the Ministry of Labour and Employment has so many structures that could take care of all the issues mostly neglected in Nigeria if they were ignited.

While noting that six out of the eight agendas under President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda were under the labour ministry, the minister maintained it was time to take deliberate actions and think out of the box to make life more meaningful for Nigerians.

She said, “We are in a position where we need to reposition the labour ministry. The world is moving towards technology and digitalisation and we don’t want to be left behind.

“We can’t do it alone and so we need to partner with you to help us succeed in the country. Mr President, during his campaign, was clear about where he wanted to take Nigeria. Today, we want to be deliberate and accurate to key into the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda and we want to solicit your support to help us in achieving our key performance index.”

“The ministry is out to make sure poverty is reduced, if not totally eradicated, through job creation. If we create enough decent jobs it will reduce a lot of the problems we have today including insecurity.

“We want to make sure Nigerians have food to eat, ensure regulation and workers welfare. Also, empowerment is very critical, so we are going to be very deliberate to empower people with what they can use to start up their own business and become employers of labour. When you do this deliberately, poverty will be reduced, empowerment will be real and training will be impactful.”

ALSO READ: Breaking: Gov Obaseki approves N70,000 minimum wage