JOBS

Abuja, Feb. 23, 2024: The Federal Government on Thursday revealed plans to create no fewer than 100,000 verifiable jobs by May 29.

Mr Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Job Creation, Office of the Vice-President, announced this in Abuja.

Adekunle-Johnson spoke at the Inaugural Job Creation and MSME Quarterly Communications Forum, organised by the Job Creation & MSME Secretariat, Office of the Vice President.

The presidential aide said that the federal government was focusing on jobs creation in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

“We are saying that by the May 29, we will create at least 100,000 jobs. The target is to create 384,000 jobs in four years,” he said.

Adekunle-Johnson said the initiatice would be a partnership between the Federal Government and Access Bank.

” Today’s programme is to announce our partnership with the Access Bank, how the bank is trying to support the government with regards to access to funding for MSMEs.

” Right now the interest rate for loans is between 27 and 29 per cent, but the Access bank is giving us at the rate of 15 per cent.

“The bank is committing N50 billion to support MSMEs. They are even now saying that if you are an MSME and you want to collect N1 to N3 million, don’t worry, the collateral that they need is simplified to enable you have access to the money.”

Earlier, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, said the Federal Government was committed to creating an enabling environment for MSMEs in the country.

Represented by the Director-General, Voice of Nigeria, Malam Jibrin Ndace, Idris said that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda recognised job creation and MSMES development as strong pillars for sustainable economic development.

“MSMEs are the essence of our economy, the main bastion for innovation, creating employment opportunities, and stimulating inclusive growth.

” (We) remain committed to improving the ease of doing business, access to financing, provision of critical infrastructure, capacity building and nurturing entrepreneurial skills, and creating market access, among other initiatives.

“The MSMEs in Nigeria have remained steadfast and resilient, demonstrating the ability to weather the storm in the face of enormous challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic ramifications.”

Abuja, Feb 22, 2024: Hannatu Musawa,  Minister of  Art, Culture and Creative Economy, says plans are underway to create two million jobs in Nigeria’s creative industry by 2027.

She said also that the ministry would roll out a framework for financing the development of the sector.

The Minister stated this during an interactive session with the  Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG)  on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to her, the ministry will work with the NESG  on fund generation and capacity building, through which the ministry can contribute 100 billion  to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030.

“With the right funding mechanism, I think we can do so much to help Nigeria out of the doldrums by creating at least two million jobs from the creative sector value chain   by 2027.

“The Federal Ministry   is the happy place of Nigeria, because is the sector that Nigerians want to hear about; the art, the films, the music, is an expression of who we are.

“This is something that we really want to tap into, especially now that the whole world is interested in the Nigerian content.

“With this, we can reposition Nigeria, so we came up with this brilliant initiative, ‘Destination 2030’, which is poised to change the narrative of Nigeria.

“The government will work towards producing a conducive environment that encourages growth and private investment to ensure that Nigeria’s cultural influence transcends borders as a brand, and unites Nigerians across all initiatives.

“We need to prove to the administration that the ecosystem can really bring value   all the way down to the grassroots.

“So, funding for our programs is very key and I would love to share a number of these initiatives and programs with you to see where we can pull the funds from,” Musawa said.

Earlier in his speech , Dr. Ikenna Nwosu,  NESG  facilitator on Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment, the Creative Economy and Sports  said the group would  provide technical assistance to the ministry to enable it to attract funds.

Nwosu   expressed the group readiness to collaborate with the ministry to update the National Policy on the Creative Industry and also train the ministry’s staff on efficient data collection.

“We discovered that the ministry does not have a National Policy on Creative Economy and   an updated National Policy on Culture, as the one they have is since 1988.

“We do not  have a National Policy to incentivise the sector  by government just as was done in other sectors, like the gas and telecommunication, to build initiatives and train operators in the sector.

“The  NESG  has decided that we must give the honourable minister the full complement of our human, technical, and development partner expertise to succeed.

“There is no limit to what she asks us to do, as we are at hand to do it on a

24-hour basis and this is a commitment that we have made.

“We have demonstrated it and will continue to demonstrate it,” he said.

Sango-Ota (Ogun), Jan. 3, 2024: A former Director, Research Department of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Titus Okunrounmu, has emphasised the need for Federal Government to provide more jobs for youths in 2024, to reduce security challenges in the country.

Okunrounmu said on Tuesday in Ota, Ogun, that insecurity and unemployment were two sides of the same coins.

The former CBN director said that an increase in unemployment would automatically lead to rising security problems in the country.

“An idle hand is the devil’s work shop.” he said.

Okunrounmu noted that most of the kidnappings, banditry and herdsmen/farmers crises, among others, were fuelled by the increased unemployment situation in the country.

“There is the  need for the Federal Government to do the needful for the economy to grow and embrace good governance in 2024.”

Okunrounmu appealed to the government to leverage on agriculture through the fertile lands and modern equipment on massive farming, to employ our teeming youths to prevent them from engaging in social vices.

” The country could respond to God’s grace by farming and constant heavy rain to solve some of the current problems in the country.”

“In addition, God has given us all these resources and population so that Nigerians would not suffer, ” he said.

Abuja, Sept. 29, 2023: The Federal Government and ALAT have launched Skillnovation Programme to provide three million digital skills to support information technology revolution, extend the reach of economic, social interactions, and enhance productivity growth.

Speaking during the launch of the programme at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday, Vice President Kashim Shettima described the Skillnovation as a “transformative initiative” that “ushers in a new era of digital empowerment for” Nigerians.

“We are compelled to tread this path by the direction in which the world has headed, a world of disruptive technologies redefined by the fourth Industrial Revolution.

“This initiative is a response to the evolution of the modern business environment, an acknowledgment that digital skills have become the cornerstone of economic ease and expansion.”

The Vice President hinted that the gathering is one of the many to come and an occasion to reassure the nation that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is fully committed to supporting small businesses across Nigeria.

The Skillnovation Programme will establish 15 state-of-the-art ICT centres, strategically placed across Nigeria, to provide individuals and businesses alike with access to cutting-edge digital training, resources, and support.

The first phase of the programme will focus on the states of Katsina, Anambra, Borno, Lagos, Oyo, and Kano, while the second phase will include Delta, Kaduna, Ogun, Bauchi, Kwara, and Ekiti States.

Giving an insight into how the country would benefit from the programme, Vice President said, “Nigeria, with its expanding MSME sector of close to 40 million, has the potential to lead business innovation beyond Africa.

The Skillnovation Programme, therefore, aims to unlock this immense potential. The initiative is designed to provide the necessary tools and skills for our MSMEs to thrive and compete on the global stage.

“As you have witnessed, ladies and gentlemen, the Skillnovation Programme is not a mere promise; it is a resounding commitment to the Nigerian people,” “It’s in pursuit of this administration’s resolve to empower our youth and MSMEs and to create a more inclusive and prosperous Nigeria. Today, we are translating that commitment into action, and we intend to be your allies in your race to take over the world through your enhanced skills.”

Shetimma also assured that nobody will be left out of the Skillnovation Programme, regardless of age, gender, or disability.

“There will be no disadvantaged demographic in accessing this opportunity. Our youth, women, and persons with disabilities have found friends and allies and will be favored in our proposed single-digit loan schemes for our valued MSMEs, for which talks are already ongoing with the Bank of Industry and other critical stakeholders and partners,” he stated.

The Skillnovation Programme is a significant step towards achieving the Federal Government’s vision of a digitally empowered and economically prosperous Nigeria. By providing MSMEs with the essential digital skills and support they need to succeed, the programme will help to create jobs, boost economic growth, and improve the lives of millions of Nigerians.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs, Mr Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, emphasised the significance of partnership, noting that government alone cannot address the challenges confronting Nigerians.

On his part, Managing Director of Wema Bank, Mr Moruf Oseni, commended the passion of the President and Vice President for empowering young Nigerians, even as he announced the establishment of skills training centres across 17 states, beginning with Lagos and Borno.

He said the programme will directly impact 2 million youths and 1 million small businesses across the benefitting States.

The MD expressed optimism that the scheme will be impactful, particularly empowering young Nigerians and preparing them for the challenges of the future.

In his goodwill message, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijjani, said President Tinubu administration’s will leverage the enthusiasm of youths in the technology space to launch Nigeria as a global power in sector.

He called on other private sectors to collaborate more with government to actualize the objectives of job creation.

On his part Governor Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State pledged the state government’s support for the success of the programme.

Also present at the event were the Ministers of Agriculture, Sen. Abubakar Kyari; Labour and Employment, Hon. Simon Lalong; Deputy Governors of Borno, Umar Kadafur; Kaduna, Hadiza Balarabe; Anambra, Onyeka Ibezim; Jigawa, Aminu Usman, and Heads of government agencies, among others.

New York, Sept. 24, 2023: The Federal Government has launched a national talent export programme, tagged “National Talent Export Programme (NATEP)’’, designed to create at least one million jobs over the next five years as a special purpose vehicle.

The Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, announced this on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), at an event tagged “Positioning Nigeria as a Global Talent Hub in New York”.

According to her, the initiative is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda to diversify the Nigerian economy, create sustainability opportunities and generate about 50 million jobs for the youths.

“NATEP is a key national initiative that will serve as a special purpose vehicle to position Nigeria as a leading global hub for service export, talent sourcing and talent export,” she said.

“As part of our strategy towards achieving this, His Excellency President Bola Tinubu, whose agenda for job creation, we have initiated a national talent export programme for Nigeria, which targets the creation of one million jobs across Nigeria over a five year period.

“NATEP is a key national initiative that will serve as a special purpose vehicle to position Nigeria as a leading global hub for service exports, talent sourcing and talent export.”

The minister said that Nigerian government under the leadership of Tinubu as part of the renewed hope agenda was committed to diversifying the economy and creating sustainable employment opportunities, especially for youths by creating 50 million jobs.

“This is in tandem with the theme of this year’s UNGA, rebuilding trust and igniting global solidarity, accelerating action on the 2030 agenda and the sustainable development goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”, Uzoka-Anite told a gathering comprising officials of the World Economic Forum and the Microsoft group.

According to her, NATEP will be dedicated to addressing the unique needs and challenges faced by the talent and service sector export industry, laying emphasis on enhancing competitiveness, fostering innovation and driving sustainable growth through trade in services.

Available data indicate that the global talent sourcing industry is valued at $620 billion as at 2020 and it is forecasted to be valued at about $904 billion by 2027.

Uzoka-Anite said Nigeria has the ability to supply top talent for the global service export and outsourcing business, with over 1.7 million graduates from higher education institutions entering the workforce annually.

“NATEP will serve as a dedicated entity to address the unique needs and challenges faced by talents and service export industry. The programme will lay special emphasis on enhancing competitiveness, fostering innovation and driving sustainable growth through trade and services.

“It is noteworthy that the global talent sourcing industry was valued at $620 billion in 2020 and is forecasted to be valued at $904 billion by 2027.

“With a youthful population and over 1.7 million graduates from the higher educational institutions joining the workforce each year, Nigeria has the potential to provide high quality talent for the Global Service export and outsourcing industry.”

While stating that Nigeria is ready to become a global hub for talent export, Uzoka-Anite said that government would take full advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACfTA) to penetrate the continent’s huge market and target job opportunities in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia, among others.

“As a country we have a significant value proposition for regional and global markets for the export of services. We will actively target Greenfield and Brownfield job opportunities in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, among others.

“We will take advantage of the African continental free trade agreement to access the African market.

“The four pronged objectives of the NATEP initiative as follows: One to deliver one million service export jobs over the next five years; to increase foreign exchange earnings and revenue for Nigeria; to create economic growth and to stimulate the growth of ancillary industries and support services, and to improve skills and strengthening the Nigerian brand.”

In addition, Uzoka-Anite said: “To put it succinctly, the message from today’s launch of the national talent export programme is clear. Nigeria is ready to become a global hub for talent experts.

“We have the vision and commitment and we seek your partnership and trust as we embark on this mutually beneficial journey. We look forward to partnering with you.”

In his remarks, the Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, while welcoming the initiative, noted that it was extremely timely as Nigeria was loosing out of the benefits countries like India enjoy.

“I think one thing we’ve not done well, is actually to be intentional, around how we milk that opportunity for our own economic development. And this is why this programme is extremely important.

“I’ve been following the Nigerian story; we’ve been losing a lot of our top talents to the world. So, the implication of that is that we’re going to be losing a significant proportion of people in that space of the academy.

“There’s nothing we can do about it. The best we can ever do is to be intentional about it and turn it into exports and it’s going to become even deeper for us because this becomes a significant resource that we can tap into,’’ he said,

The minister, however, said that the government cannot stop people from moving, nothing that is the reason why the president is extremely passionate about it and He has given mandate to different ministries.

“I’ve got the mandate to train one million technical talent, we believe we can actually do much more than one million and the intention is that we may not have the local tech economy to absorb the one million, so the goal is actually to export, which is also something we’ve been doing.

“But I think in the process of exporting, we, must also be intentional about it. It’s not just about exporting our people by it’s not another slave trade. It’s about making the most of it, we export for value.

“These people contribute and add value to the world, but also they bring value back to us as well. That’s what it’s all about. It’s about meaningful exploitation of talent. I think that’s where Nigeria I want to be,” he said.

The Managing Director of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Dr Saadia Zahidi, who also spoke at the event, promised to support Nigeria’s effort in the new talent export programme.

“The World Economic Forum in Nigeria has a long standing partnership and we are very happy to support this particular effort.

“The forum established some months ago, a skills accelerator in Nigeria and under the leadership of Her Excellency, the minister and others, we hope that we will be able to provide support to NATEP through the continuous rescaling and upskilling of the workforce that will be a part of this initiative.

“The way these accelerators work, we bring in some of the learning and training providers, we bring in some of the companies that have the most to teach very often to the youth that are part of these programmes.

“And of course, bringing together the public sector as well, to then ensure that in a rapid 18 to 24 month period, there’s a rapid setup of not just the learning for those that will be part of this workforce.

“But that there is ongoing systems, change ongoing upskilling, ongoing rescaling so that those skills are not redundant at some point in time,” she said.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Monday in Abuja hosted a delegation from the Republic of Korea led by the Special Envoy to the President, H.E. Jang Sungmin, at the State House, Abuja where he declared, “We want to create one million jobs in the digital world.”

He canvassed for collaboration with the Republic of Korea towards achieving the goal of digital training of youths.

He said: “75% of Nigerians are below the age of 35, so we are soliciting for your partnership and support in digital skills training for our young people.

“India earned $120 billion last year from global outsourcing and we are in a unique position to take advantage of the opportunities in the sector. We need the skills set, we need the technology to drive the process and yours is a technology that we can embrace.”

The vice-president reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening relations with Republic of Korea especially in promoting trade, technology transfer and maintaining global peace.

“Nigeria and Korea have a very robust bilateral relationship that is anchored on years of mutual trust and cooperation. A lot of Korean companies are doing business in Nigeria especially in the area of oil and gas. Six of our LNG trains were constructed by Korean companies.

“We are fully committed to a very robust relationship between our nations. We need to learn a lot from Korea especially in the areas of manufacturing and agriculture. You are a success story worthy of emulation by all developing nations,” he said.

Earlier, the Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Korea (H.E. Yoon Suk Yeol), Mr. Jang Sungmin, who congratulated Nigeria for the successful inauguration of the new government, conveyed special invitation from President Yoon to his Nigerian counterpart, Bola Tinubu, to attend the forthcoming Africa-Korea Summit in South Korea.

He also restated his country’s continuous support for Nigeria across different sectors, noting that Korea’s “collaboration with Nigeria can lead the 4th Industrial Revolution,” and maintained that the country’s “development is akin to Nigeria’s development.”