Adopt active policies, programmes to tackle unemployment, Ngige tells ARLAC
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige has urged the member countries of the African Regional Labour Centre (ARLAC) to adopt active policies and programmes to tackle unemployment and poverty in order to check the consequential social tension and violent crimes.
Speaking at the 46thsession of the ARLAC with the theme “Strategic Objective On Social Protection” held over the weekend in Kampala, Uganda, the Minister said poverty reduction would easily be achieved by harnessing the efforts of various agencies and departments charged with the strategic objective of social protection.
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“Africa is replete with tales of
worrisome level of child labour, human trafficking and exploitation,
irregular migration, youth restiveness, terrorism, armed banditry and
arson among others. Addressing this as the theme of this high level
symposium could not have therefore come at a more auspicious time,” the
Minister enthused.
To achieve this, he called for the
faithful implementation of the pro-people development model as
articulated by the Director General of the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) Guy Ryder during the International Youth Conference
in Abuja last year. This according to him includes “ the pro-employment
and economic policies, policy investments in education and skills ,
promotion of youth entrepreneurship and employment, labour market
policies as well as respect and protection of the rights of the young
persons.”
Sen. Ngige who is also the Chairman of
the Government Group of the Governing Board of the ILO similarly
informed the gathering that the Buhari administration has relatively
achieved a synch with the ILO’s development template through the
strategic operationalization of an integrated employment and empowerment
strategy in the national development paradigm.
“The pro-employment macroeconomic
policies for job creation ought to be a multi-sectoral agenda of
government, traversing ministries and agencies. This is exactly what the
federal government of Nigeria is currently doing by setting
clear targets on key economic sectors with high propensity for job
creation such as Agriculture, Mining, Works and Housing , Trade and
Investments as well as in special agencies like the National Social
Investment Programme as the fulcrum for job creation,” he added.
The Minister also noted that
notwithstanding challenges, Nigeria has increased focal investment in
education and skills acquisition in order to contain the mismatch
between educational skills and demands of the labour market.
“We are working to align the
prerequisites of the labour market with the capacity of the labour force
in a way to create synergy and ease responsiveness to innovations. Our
Ministry of Labour and Employment is currently spearheading the shift
of emphasis from white collar job to the growing opportunities that
abound in the blue collar market in line with the changing world of
work,” Ngige highlighted.
He further said there was an urgent need
for member countries to direct energy on the implementation of the
decent work priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals as
articulated in the Abidjan declaration of the 14thAfrican
Regional meeting “Advancing Social Justice, Shaping the Future of Work
in Africa,” held in Cote d’Ivoire in December 2019.
He equally commended the government of
Ethiopia for the supportive and coordinating role it has been playing
for the Africa group since last year Nigeria has been in saddle as the
chair of the Government Group of the ILO Governing Board.
“We hope that as we approach the next
elections into the governing board which is due in June this year,
those that will take over the mantle of representing the continent will
work harder , perform better and be able to surpass the achievements of
the present board,” he pleaded.
He finally called for support for Nigeria
and other African countries already nominated for positions in the ILO
Governing board in the election scheduled for June this year.
Recall that apart from being the serving chairman of the government group of the Governing Board, Nigeria was also nominated last year by the African group for election as a titular representative in the Governing Board, a position it last held over a decade ago.
