The African Centre for Global Entrepreneural Leadership (ACGEL) has outlined plans to create 60,000 jobs for Nigerians as an intervention plan to cushion effects of job losses occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic,
Founder and Board Chairman of ACGEL, Mr Greatness Oladapo disclosed this at a news briefing in abuja on Friday.
According to him, the group will be partnering with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Keystone Bank, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) among others to achieve its objectives.
AGGEL is a registered non-governmental organisation whose aim was training and mentoring prospective entrepreneurs to help reduce unemployment by creating jobs for the unemployed.
Oladapo said the decision of the organisation to create jobs for Nigerians was anchored on the outlook of employment situation in Africa in general and Nigeria in particular.
He added that research figures showed that 19 million Africans would be unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic while 20 million Nigerians were presently unemployed.
He said according to a research paper echoed by the Tony Elumelu Foundation Advisory Board member, Bruno Wenn writes that 19 Million to 22 million jobs will be lost due to COVID-19 in African countries.
According to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) unemployment in Nigeria actually grew steadily from 2010 to 2019.
“I am trying to give statistics to know that we are not coming up with solutions from our head but we know exactly what we did.
“In real terms, 20.9 million Nigerians are currently unemployed while 18.2 million are underemployed. This brings their total of 39.1 million people out of active labour force of 115.5 million.
“This was before COVID-19 came up. I don’t know what will happen next after the global pandemic.
“If this trend is not brought to a halt, it will fuel more kidnapping, banditry, insurgency and armed
robbery.
“It is to this very end we present ACGEL’S Action Solution Based Systems for Job Creation, ” he said.
He further explained that the jobs would be generated through an online registration platform, www.legs.africa where the details of the registration and voting process could be ascertained.
He said to assure participants of the credibility of the processes, the group had written a letter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to monitor the project to ensure transparency.
“The project seeks to involve all Nigerians to generate 60,000 jobs.
“Our first target is to receive entries (only one entry per applicant) in applications from intending and existing job creators in the following clustered areas notably fashion, agriculture, technology, housing, energy, education, motion pictures, sports within 60 days which is free online @ www.legs.africa.
“People with keen mindset and ideas to create jobs for themselves known as entrepreneurs and for others other than themselves known as business owners should please apply, ” he said.
He, however, said that those interested should not hesitate to contact the group on how to go about the process. (NAN)
