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From Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Nigeria’s economic situation is not the worst when compared to the elite nations in the world that suffered the COVID -19 pandemic.
The Chairman/Supervising Minister of National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo, stated this yesterday at the inaugural meeting of the National Directorate of Employment Board held in Benin City.
He said countries that are more viable economically have not been able to wriggle themselves out of the economic crises occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and, in trying to survive, they have further plunged themselves into huge debts but in the case of Nigeria, its government has been able to weather the storm without borrowing much.
“So many nations are collapsing all over the world leading to social unrest here and there.
“So, Nigeria is still managing its affairs very well. If you are looking at the global reports of elite countries who were richer than Nigeria who are now in danger of a collapsing economy, Nigeria is not there.
“I need to say this at this point and as we go into campaigns, people should not deceive Nigerians as if Nigerians are gullible, that Nigeria is an isolated nation in the world that is facing certain economy crisis.
“This is a global crisis leading to social unrest in many countries.
“So, you will understand that the present government has managed our situation so well that it could have been worse like we have in so many countries and I will give so many examples if we have time, countries who are more elite than Nigeria, who are more in debts crisis than us, even here in west Africa, go and see the report of borrowings that are far more than of Nigeria right now”, he said.
The Minister discloed that the rate of unemployment has moved from 26 percent to 33 percent and that the only solution to cushion the effects of unemployment is to skill up the Nigerian populace.
“Unemployment has risen to about 33 percent after the COVID pandemic before then, it was about 26 percent. So, all agencies of governments are geared towards now, is skilling up the population, empowering them because the only way out of the unemployment crisis is to skill up Nigerians, is to ensure that they are self employed.
“There is no way we can create spaces within public institutions to employ Nigerians and clean up the unemployment market”, he explained.
He, therefore, urged
the board members of the NDE to double up their efforts and think of ways to deliver a better service to Nigerians, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari the All Progressives Congress government are desirous of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
Earlier, the Director General, NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, appealed for increase in budgetary allocation to the body in order to meet up with its demands.
“May I request the board to explore possible means of attracting external funding for the directorate.
“This is very critical, considering the fact that NDE has been receiving almost same budgetary allocations and insufficient release of funds since 2004 despite the geometric increase in the rate of unemployed persons with its attendant socioeconomic implications.
“On our part, we have made efforts for collaboration with government and non governmental agencies and other relevant stakeholders as a way of attracting support for employment creation initiatives”, he said.
