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President To Launch FG/UN 12-Month Job Fellowship For 20,000 Graduates Annually – VP Announces

David Olagunju
June 3, 2021
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In addition to employment opportunities created through the Economic Sustainability Plan and job schemes being implemented under the Social Investment Programme, among others, the Buhari administration in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme and other private sector partners is set to launch a 20,000 yearly graduate job fellowship to be called the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme, NJFP.

Speaking today while making the formal announcement, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, said the 12-month job fellowship programme would be launched very soon by President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the Vice President “we are looking forward to the President formally launching the programme very shortly.”

He stated that “as we prepare for the formal launch of the programme by Mr President, I urge private sector leaders and captains of industry, development partners and the diplomatic community, to support this program aimed at equipping young Nigerians with skills and experience required for the work place.”

Under the initiative, internship opportunities will be created for young Nigerians who have recently concluded the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme. The fully-paid internships will last for 12 months and will be in reputable private and public sector organizations across the country.

Prof. Osinbajo said the NJFP “is in very good company, a new and bold addition to an existing suite of large-scale, big-impact programmes that will rewrite the narrative as it relates to jobs, skills and employment in Nigeria.”

According to the VP, “we are resolute in our determination to make the needed difference, and rebuild the confidence of our young people in the ability of their government to rise to the occasion and guarantee a future that is better and more prosperous than the past.”

The Vice President noted that “our ongoing efforts include the N-Power Scheme, which recruits young graduates and places them in agricultural, health and education intervention schemes in local communities around the country. N-Power also has a non-graduate scheme focused on technical skills and IT education. The President has approved the expansion of the N-Power programme from 500,000 beneficiaries to one million.

“We have also established a N75 billion Youth Fund in the Ministry of Youth and Sports to provide credit and support for young entrepreneurs and professionals.”

Prof. Osinbajo added that there is also the $500 million African Development Bank Technology and Innovation Fund which the AFDB’s Ag. Senior Director Mr. Lamin Barrow also mentioned at the event.

“Also under our Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), designed to protect existing jobs, create new ones, and promote local production, our agricultural, housing and solar power programmes already employ and will employ tens of thousands of people to ensure food security, and deliver affordable homes and new power connections.”

Stating the support of the United Nations for the programme, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Systems in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon, said the launch and eventual implementation of the scheme would redefine the future of Nigeria.

According to him, “having a population of 41 million young people constituting 30% of the youth population in Africa, empowering young Nigerians will be key in the actualisation of a better future for Africa.”

His words: “the Jubilee Fellows Programme will champion homegrown Nigerian talent and opportunities. It will connect inspiring young Nigerians with local opportunities that will apply their expertise, while equipping them with world class practical knowledge.

“The Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme will bridge the gap between graduates and industry. Through this programme, private sector entities, startups and key public sector institutions will be connected directly to graduates to find the best young talent that Nigeria has to offer. Graduates will be able to to better understand the needs, challenges and realities that industries broadly face, and learn how best to contribute to address them.”

Commending the leadership provided by the VP, Mr Kallon said “what you are supporting today will lead to a bright future for Nigeria, and will outlive your administration. If there is a viable investment development partners will make in Nigeria, this is the one that is dearest to them and in which they will surely support.”

On his part, the representative of the EU at the event, Mr Ketil Karlsen, pledged the support of the organization for the programme, affirming the EU’s confidence in the Nigerian youth.

Private sector partners of the programme include, BUA, Dangote, VISA Nigeria, Outsource Global, GE Gas and Power, Lafarge Africa, SecureID, Microsoft, among others.


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Previous Article Apapa customs generates 2022,Extortion: Lagos bans military checkpoints in Apapa, outlaws nine illegal checkpoints, As VIN protest lingers winners losers emerge, Over the past few years, players in the freight industry mounted a consistent demand for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to overhaul imported vehicles valuation system, on the heels of recurring conflicts between them and customs valuation officers. For the majority of customs brokers and freight forwarders, the harmonisation and standardisation of the Customs’ valuation system was urgently needed. In the absence of a standardised valuation system, Customs officials were accused of high handedness and extortion through the use of deductive valuation. Responding to this demand for a standardised valuation system, the Nigeria Customs Service last week introduced an e-valuation system known as Vehicles Identification Number (VIN-valuation), being an artificial intelligence manual that is wholly self acting, utilising world class data which drives documentation processes in an electronically digitised format. With the introduction of the VIN valuation system, many expected standards in Customs valuation processes to be above board. However, rather than commend Customs for the bold initiative, majority of those who have clamoured for the change and who are primary beneficiaries of its laudable gains began to complain about the process, taking it to an unexpected height through organised protest, and calling for its rejection. Last week, the protest got to an unprecedented level and clearing agents decided to embark on an indefinite strike to express their displeasure over the newly introduced Customs VIN. With the clearing agents refusing to clear imported vehicles that had arrived at the Port and Terminal Multiservices Ltd (PTML) and Tin-Can Island ports, many vehicles became trapped inside the ports, thereby accumulating demurrages and storage charges that run into millions of Naira. Winners With so many imported vehicles trapped inside the ports due to the ongoing strike by clearing agents (which is in its second week), some port operators are currently smiling to the bank while there is confusion inside the ports. Top among the operators who are benefitting from the ongoing protest are the foreign shipping companies who are making millions of Dollars on trapped cargoes in the form of demurrage charges. In line with shipping rules, demurrage charges are billed on every container carried by a ship once a ship is delayed due to reasons beyond the shipping company. “Once a ship arrives at a port and cannot discharge her contents due to issues beyond the shipping company, the ship starts billing the containers that she is carrying what is called demurrage charges. For the number of days that the ship waits to discharge her contents, she bills every container that she is carrying demurrage charges. “The strike by the clearing agents over the VIN controversy has already lasted one full week and we are already into the second week, yet the strike over roro cargoes is still on. Vehicles have been offloaded by ships at these port terminals and those vehicles should have been cleared to create space for newer arrivals at the port terminals. However, due to the ongoing strike, these vehicles have not been cleared. Definitely, we have a problem. “If this strike persists, it will get to a point ships won’t be able to discharge cargoes at the port terminals anymore because the whole port terminal will be filled with uncleared imported vehicles and the ships will start billing demurrages on the vehicles that they are carrying. What this means is that while the clearing agents are protesting and refusing to clear imported vehicles, the shipping lines will be making more money on the cargoes that they are carrying,” a shipping agent who wouldn’t want his name in print told the Nigerian Tribune exclusively. Another set of winners while the strike lasts at the ports is the port terminal operators. At Nigerian port terminals, newly arrived cargoes have free storage days that they are not billed what is called storage charges. However, after the expiration of the grace period which varies between three days and five days, the port terminals start billing uncleared cargoes storage charges. 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This is due to a drop in cargo throughput volume since already discharged cargoes have failed to leave the ports as at when due., improved port efficiency, Customs server breaksdown, apm alleged extortion in Eto call-up, Nigeria’s manual port operations , APM Terminals Apapa, ports cargoes, Shippers council, Rivers Port, Lagos ports, demurrage, Return of Apapa gridlock, tank farms, Tin-Can port road Seaports: Truckers may down-tool over alleged extortion in Eto call-up
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