Economic Confidential

The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu CON, has indicated interest to partner with the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation on the Upcoming Stakeholders Employment Summit which would be of great benefit to both organizations.

The Minister who was represented by his Permanent Secretary, Dr. Tunji Olaopa stated this today when he received in audience the Special Assistant to the President on job Creation, Mrs. Josephine Washima during her familiarization visits to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity.

Chief Emeka Wogu said that the issue of job creation has been one of the cardinal responsibilities of the Ministry of Labour and Productivity hence its resolve to develop a National Employment Policy which was approved by Federal Executive Council in 2002. “The National Employment Policy (NEP) provides for a National Employment Council (NEC) which is chaired by the Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity’ Wogu said.

He also informed the Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation that “on the recommendation of National Employment Council, a National Employment Summit was convened in April, 2009. Participants were drawn from the 36 States including Federal Capital Territory, the Social Partners, the tripartite plus, all MDAs, Local Government Areas, Ministers of Labour from Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone in the West African Sub-region, ECOWAS Commissioner for Women Development and Gender. This according to the Minister resulted to the “Abuja Declaration’ and the National Action Plan on Employment Creation (NAPEC) document which gave birth to the local content in every contract approved by the Federal Executive council.

Chief Wogu further stated that in view of the concerns raised by Employers of Labour on fresh Artisans and Craftsmen employed due to inability to meet Industrial Standard in terms of work habit and entry point competence, the Ministry has established Skill Upgrading Training Centers. These Centers are located at Yaba, Ibadan, Warri, Calabar, Bauchi and Kaduna.

“The Centres upgrade the Skills of poorly trained artisans and craftsmen and equip them with higher technical Skills that meet the needs of employers’ the Minister said.

Chief Wogu also informed the Special Assistant to Mr. President on Job Creation that “Conscious of the need to keep pace with technological advancement in a fast globalized world, the Ministry developed increasingly sophisticated mechanisms for the delivery of Labour exchange services known as National Electronic Labour Exchange,(NELEX)which is an electronic platform that enable jobseekers and employers of Labour to meet online and access employment services’’.

Earlier in her speech, the Special Assistant to president on job creation, Josephine Washima, commended the Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity on the steps so far taken to reduce unemployment in the Country.

She noted that her main objective is to reduce the increasing rate of unemployment in Nigeria through monitoring and evaluating the various agencies and sectors saddled with the responsibilities of generating employment through their activities.

She called for partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Productivity on areas of employment generating policy, accessement of initiatives, monitoring and evaluation on job creation to enable her office achieve its set objectives.