Minister of Labour and employment, Chris NgigiMinister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige, has said that the anchor borrowers programme in the agricultural sector, floated by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has created over eight million new farmers.
Senator Ngige, who briefed senators on the achievements of his ministry during the 2019 budget defence session in Abuja, named three of the jobs created through the programme, including white collar, blue collar and pink collar jobs.
The Minister who was answering questions on what the government is doing to mop up the growing army of unemployed youths in the country told the Senate Committee on Labour and Productivity that there are three categories of jobs which the government has created.
According to him, the government has created millions of jobs in the informal sector including empowering women and artisans.
He said that the Federal Government has also lifted embargo on employment so as to offer more white collar jobs to deserving applicants.
Dr. Ngige however emphasized that job creation in every country is not the sole responsibility of the government.
According to him, the private sector is playing a significant role in the creation of job opportunities for the people even as he called on those in the private sector to take more than passing interest in the creation of job opportunities in the interest of the youths.
Dr. Ngige scored the government high in job creation and empowerment, adding that for the first time, Nigeria has developed a national roadmap on job creation.
He said that the eight million new farmers were doing excellently in rice production in Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Ebonyi and part of Anambra and other states.
The minister also said that more than one million jobs were created through the social security programme of the government, particularly the N-Power, which he said has about five hundred thousand jobs, conditional cash transfer policy of the government and Tradermoni initiated by the Vice President.
