FG’s 774,000 Jobs Begin Today

The Federal Government of Nigeria’s Special Public Works (SPW) programme targeted at employing 774,000 youths across the 774 local government councils will commence today, with an official launch expected on Friday.

The project which was in the first instance slated to commence October 1 was shifted to November after the minister of state for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN) had written a memo to President Muhammadu Buhari, informing him that most of the proposed project sites were still water-logged as the rains had not abated, according to reports by Leadership Newspapers.

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However, Tunde Moshood, the special assistant on media to the minister of state for Labour and Employment, told Leadership’s correspondent over the phone that a formal launch will now be next Friday, November 6.

He said, “Yes, it is going ahead. November first is Sunday, so there can’t be an official launch on Sunday”.

He said the Minister of state for Labour, Festus Keyamo will openly declare the commencement of the programme in Delta.

Leadership Sunday gathered that the programme will start with a test run in 18 states, while other states will join at a later date.

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Many successful beneficiaries of the progaramme have received text messages from banks and their local government confirming their participation.

Meanwhile, stakeholders have applauded the move, saying the initiative, if not politicised midway, will give birth to economic prosperity, even as it would reduce in the long run the growing unemployment rate in the country.

On his part, the Director-general of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Muda Yusuf, advised that to make the government initiative works, there must be creation of an enabling environment for investors, especially the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Yusuf said, “We need to focus on factors impeding the performance of these businesses. We need to address infrastructure issues, access to foreign exchange, regulatory challenges, funding, technology, ports customs, taxes, fees and levies, as well as bureaucracy, to mention a few of the constraints.

“Supporting the creation of new businesses is a good idea, but facilitating the growth of existing businesses is more impactful and more sustainable. We need to deal with all dimensions of the unemployment challenge.”

The federal government had earlier kick-started the Special Public Works (SPW) programme, which was designed to create 774,000 jobs across the nation, with the inauguration of the State Selection Committees.

The initiative plans to employ 1,000 persons from each of the 774 LGA in the country

Each of the beneficiaries of the programme will be paid N20,000 monthly to carry out public works.

The implementation agency for the programme is the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

The Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo, while performing the virtual inauguration in a joint address with the director-general of NDE, Nasir Ladan Argungu, had disclosed that an inter-ministerial committee drawn from 8 ministries and headed by the NDE recommended the setting up of states’ selection committees to identify and recruit those to be engaged under the programme.