FG set to introduce labour statistics system to address unemployment

The Federal Government is set to introduce a labour statistics system where unemployed Nigerians at home and abroad can apply for jobs in Nigeria.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, told a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday that the move was part of government’s efforts to tackle high rate of unemployment in the country.

“With labour statistics and matching, unemployment can be fought.

“Nigerians in the diaspora, particularly specialists who want to return home can look at the labour statistics to know where vacancies exist,’’ Ngige said.

The minister assured that the labour statistics would be available in two months.

He recalled that the ministry earlier established a labour exchange system for merging and cross-matching labour supply and demand in Nigeria.

“In our electronic labour exchange system, applicants and employers can access the system and decide what to do.

“We do what is called cross-matching and people are gainfully employed through it. This is facilitation of employment,’’ he stressed.

He said also that the ministry had been involved in some international projects and partnerships, adding that the American government was putting up a grant for women and children in Nigeria and Liberia.

“America is giving the grant to arrest child labour which is a function of poverty.

“People who ask their children to go to work in mines or in cocoa plantations or send them to hawk wares while their peers are in school are looking for money.

“There are two programmes. One is for five million dollars and the other one for four million dollars to take children away from child labour,’’ he said.

Ngige also told the news conference that a Nigerian implementer had been appointed for the programmes while the International Labour Organisation (ILO) would render technical assistance.

He commended the ILO for being up and doing in the area of technical assistance and urged the organisation to sustain the momentum.

He said the ministry had concluded the validation of new labour laws and that the Industrial Arbitration Panel (IAP) could be upgraded to a full-fledged Commission anytime soon.

“We are hopeful to get the National Assembly to pass the bills before the end of February,’’ Ngige stressed.