The Federal Government is seeking collaboration with the government of India to boost Nigeria’s skill acquisition centres, aimed at enhancing job creation.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, stated this recently in Abuja while receiving the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Abhay Thakur, and his entourage.
Ngige said, “Over 5,000 skill acquisition centres are scattered across the country and the resuscitation of these centres would assist the Nigerian government create more employment and entrepreneurs in the country.”
The minister enjoined India to key into the local content capacity programme for mutual benefits by creating jobs for Nigerians and profits for Indians.
He further called for the revival of the labour capacity building programme, an exchange programme between Nigeria and India, which trained a lot of Nigerian labour officers in Indian labour institutes, as part of technical assistance to Nigeria, which was stopped in 2013.
Ngige also urged the Indian government to protect Nigerians working in India by providing labour protection and ease of doing business for Nigerians in India.
“Nigeria and India have a lot in common and a robust relationship that has spanned many years in the area of trade, education, labour, foreign affairs and there is need to further strengthen the bilateral relationship,” the mMinister added.
In his vote of thanks, the Minister of State Labour and Employment, Professor Stephen Ocheni, solicited continued partnership with India in the areas of reciprocal interest, especially in consular issues.
Earlier, Thakur commended the Nigerian government for providing an enabling working environment for Indians to conduct their businesses in the country.
He said India looked forward to training Nigerians in the Indian labour institutes, as well as maximising the use of local content or services in running their businesses in Nigeria.
The high commissioner declared that the two countries have excellent relationships and India was looking at the possibilities of having direct flights from Nigeria to India.