Akwa Ibom plans to establish labour data bank

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state has approved the establishment of a labour data bank to provide statistics of unemployed persons in the state.

The data bank would help the state government plan for the number of unemployed graduates, skilled and unskilled job seekers in the state.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent in Uyo on Sunday, the Commissioner for Labour and Manpower Planning, Prof. Victor Inoka said Gov. Udom has approved the establishment of a labour data bank to ascertain the number of unemployed people with a view to exploring means to provide the jobless citizens in the state with gainful employment.

“Yes, the governor announced the approval for the establishment of a labour data bank in the state during the state executive council meeting last Thursday.

This is a new innovation that would help the state to know the actual number of unemployed people and plan how to accommodate them.

“Governance is all about the welfare of citizens. The governor is very sensitive to the plight of the people. This means the governor has the people in mind always and he thinks well about the unemployed,” the commissioner said.

Inoka disclosed that the modality for collation of the data of unemployed persons in the state to ensure implementation of the exercise would be done by the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning

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He said the exercise would capture graduates, artisans, skilled and unskilled labourers in the state to assist government confirm the number of persons who are not gainfully employed in the state.

“At the appropriate time, the ministry would inform the public about the exercise and affected persons will be listed in the labour data bank,” he said.

Among other decisions taken at the meeting were the upward review of the approval fees for opening of private schools to N500, 000, the reintroduction of revenue receipts in government owned hospitals across the state as well as approval for the Ibom 3, 000 initiative and a local government project initiative.

He explained that under the initiative, each local government will identify and harness a product peculiar to its area.