Nigerian Government has expressed its willingness to partner with the British Government in tackling unemployment and creating job opportunities for young persons in the country.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo, stated this when the Political Counsellor, British High Commission, Mr. Dominic Williams, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
“We are ready to collaborate with our partners all over the world to open up avenues for job creation. We are open to all kinds of suggestions and levels of co-operation,” he said.
He disclosed that Federal Government has opened up other sectors as part of efforts to diversify the economy from oil, which would in turn create room for employment.
According to him, part of the efforts of government to diversify the economy and boost job creation include empowering people to go back to the farm through the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, as well as activating the mines and steel sector.
Keyamo noted that government, through the National Directorate of Employment, has been empowering many youths by training them on basic artisan skills to make them self-employed, as well as being employers of labour.
He observed that empowering the youths with the acquisition of skills has also reduced the practice of importing such skills from other countries.
“The problem of unemployment can only be solved, not through direct employment by the government, but by training people to acquire basic skills by which they can be self-employed and also employ some small workforce,” he said.
The Minister of State maintained that by curbing corruption, and diversifying the economy, government has been on the right track to creating jobs.
Earlier, the Political Counsellor, British High Commission, Abuja, Mr. Dominic Williams, sought ways that Britain could assist Nigeria in its efforts at job creation.