The efforts of the Federal Government at job creation received a boost today as the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity under the leadership of Chief Emeka Wogu made a commitment to partner with the African Development Bank on Skills and infrastructural developments.
Chief Wogu made this commitment in his office today during a courtesy call on him by the delegation of the African Development Bank led by its Chief Country Economist Dr. John Kofi Baffoe.
“One of the main aspects of the Transformation Agenda of Mr. President is job creation/employment generation and infrastructure development. It is my honour to give you access to the technical team through the Permanent Secretary of Ministry Labour and Productivity Dr. Tunji Olaopa, and I would be available for further discussion. We are ready to buy-in to your proposal as your ideas are equally in line with the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan. I believe we will have a well thought out and a well design country strategy programme for the country”. Chief Wogu affirmed.
“I want to equally inform you that the present administration has done alot in the area of electricity generation and we are prepared to do more. When the Federal Government actualizes its power reform programme, it will equally create jobs leading to filling of the skills gap through training and re-train. The same will go with the policy in the downstream sector of the oil and gas, it is expected that with the complete deregulation of that sector investors will come in with huge investment and that will include once they come in and start building refineries in addition to the one we are working on through the Turnaround Maintenance more jobs will be created from these investment”. He emphasized.
Earlier in his remarks the Chief Country Economist of the African Development Bank, Dr. John Kofi Baffoe, informed the Minister that the purpose of the visit was to present the Funds proposal on infrastructural and skill development programme for a buy-in by the Ministry.
“The main purpose of our mission here is to present some proposal for a buy-in. We have come out with two strategic pillars that we will like your Ministry to be involved in and they are; infrastructure development in term of energy, power, road as well as Agro business and the value change, the second is the issue of Skills Development in tackling unemployment especially for the youths. We are presenting these in view of the need for skill development to improve the employability of the youths in Nigeria” Dr. John Koffi stated.
