The Federal Government yesterday requested for more foreign direct investment from France to create more employment opportunities in the country.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige made this request in his office while receiving the Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Mrs. Emmanuelle Blatmann and other top French embassy officials.
While commending the quantum of French investment already existing in Nigeria, Ngige appealed to France to do more, in order to boost employment in the country.
The minister, who blamed unemployment for the deteriorating security situation in the African region, said a lot of work needs to be done for people to have jobs.
He posited that more foreign direct investment from France would go a long way in tackling the ravaging unemployment in Nigeria and the African region in general.
He said, “I am delighted to note that your investment in Nigeria is worth 10 billion Euros, but we need more. You can see that unemployment is ravaging our region in Africa. We will be grateful if you assist us to stabilise our region.
“We urge you to do more in agriculture, agro-industries, agriculture extension, and fertilizer production. We need technical assistance, to enable us to grow more cash crops. We need your assistance for vocational education, such as carpentry, welding, tiling, plumbing, textiles, bakery and confectionaries, so that more Nigerians will have jobs.”
Ngige appealed for French partnership with Nigerian universities in the area of vocational education, which remains Nigeria’s “low hanging fruit,” for achieving economic prosperity.
He invited the French Development Agency (AFD) to work with the Skills Development Department in the Ministry of Labour and Employment in the area of vocational training.