FG plans 20m jobs in Buhari’s 2nd term

Uche Usim,  Maiduguri and Walter Ukaegbu, Abuja

The Industrial Trade Fund (ITF) says it proposing pragmatic strategies that would generate about 20 million jobs in President Muhammadu Buhari’s next level initiative.
Director General ITF Mr. Joseph Ari, who dropped this hint yesterday in Abuja during an interface with stakeholders on strategies for job creation by the Federal Government explained that the jobs which would include direct and indirect jobs will be in four key sectors, of the economy namely Agriculture, Construction, Transport and Service sectors.
He noted that going by the National Bureau for Statistics (NBS) report of the 4th Quarter of 2017 to the 3rd quarter of 2018, the total number of Nigerians that were unemployed increased from 17.6 million in 4th quarter of 2017 to 2019 in 3rd quarter of 2018.
Ari further observed that despite the fact that the number of people in employment increased from 68. 4 million in the 3rd quarter of 2017 and 69.53 million in the 3rd quarter of 2018, indications are that despite government’s efforts to create jobs, the number of unemployed was still rising.
The ITF boss also remarked that other authorities estimate that Nigerian tertiary institutions produced up to 500,000 graduates every year with only a fraction able to secure employment.
He informed that the ITF equipped over 450,000 Nigerians with life skills and empowered all the beneficiaries with startup packs within the last two years.
Meanwhile, Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika on Monday revealed that the Buhari administration completed 134 out of 157 airport projects embarked upon in 2015.
The Minister made the revelation in Maiduguri where he inaugurated the newly completed international terminal for Maiduguri International Airport where construction works commenced in 2013.
Sirika, while speaking with journalists after the inauguration said the remaining airport projects spread around the country were at various levels of completion.
He said: “Maiduguri Airport terminal rehabilitation commenced in 2013 and was abandoned but in the spirit of the style of President Buhari, he asked that we should first complete all abandoned airport projects and this is one of them.
“It underscores the importance of Borno as a state and as a north eastern region and  haven been ravaged by insecurity. We put importance to this airport and many other facilities that will ensure safe and secure airport operations.