OSAS EMMANUEL
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has promised to ensure a conducive environment to boost job availability in the country.
Speaking at a one-day workshop on Strategic Reportage on Job Creation/ Employment Generation for Labour Correspondents in Abuja, the Director of Employment and Wages, Joseph Akpan, said the mandate of the ministry was not primarily to create jobs for unemployed citizens, but rather it exists to aid the government ensure a conducive environment to boost job availability.
Akpan said job availability for the unemployed has become a natural course once there is an effective micro and macro economic policies in place.
He said employment opportunities can see a boost, if the road networks are in good shape, if an effective compensation schemes is in place and other contigencies.
Akpan also argued that the best option for job creation was self employment or entrepreneurship because of the capacity for expansion.
The Director regretted the misconception about the ministry, saying more often than not, job seekers beseige the ministry looking for jobs but feign ignorance of the actual functions of the department.
Corroborating this position, Director, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Olajide Oshundun, lamented that many Nigerians hold the erroneous belief that the Labour ministry was only cut out to settle industrial disputes, particularly strike actions.
He said these insinuations or speculations necessitated the workshop to promote a better understanding of the workings of the ministry.
Giving further insight into the workings of the ministry, Dr Tiza Shaakaa said the Skills Development and Certification Department of the ministry is saddled with the responsibility of initiating and implementing Skills Development and Certification policies of the Federal Government.
According to Shaakaa, the mandate equally revolves around overseeing and monitoring all activities of public and private skills and apprenticeship training providers.
He noted that it is also saddled with reducing wide-spread unemployment among primary, secondary school leavers and other youths in the country through training in basic vocational and technical skills.
This also includes training and re-training of unemployed graduates and under- employed graduates for efficiency and self-reliance in trade of their choice.
His words, “more often than not we develop policies and guidelines for all Vocational, Apprenticeship and other Skills Training Programmes throughout the country establish standards and network for partnership with all national and international organisations involved in skills development and certification activities.
“We also test the level of competence leading to the certification of tradesmen and tradeswomen in various trades and classes, while promoting and coordinating the efforts of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other organisations involved in vocational apprenticeship/traineeship and other skills acquisition programmes, among others.”
