By Shola Abayomi.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has revealed that the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), introduced by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, has in three years, yielded over 2 million direct and indirect employment opportunities, and has lifted over 5 million Nigerians out of extreme poverty.
The SGF, who represented the President at the opening of the Global Youth Employment Forum of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Abuja yesterday, noted that the Federal Government was specifically targeting some sectors of the economy with high propensity for job creation and employment generation.
According to Mustapha, the sectors include: Agriculture, solid minerals, power, works and housing, trade and investment, and also the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The SGF stated that the government was aware of the need to focus on youth empowerment, while adding that President Buhari had made “investment in Nigerians” one of his key goals.
“We note at this point that the issue of youth unemployment has assumed a global significant, and on the front burner of development discourse.
“The government of Nigeria understands the need to focus attention on youth empowerment by creating the enabling environment for job opportunities and capacity building.
“The present administration from the onset, made the investment in our people, one of the key goals of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, which is the national development blueprint from the period of 2017 to 2020.
“The implementation of the plan also has the flagship programme such as the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).
“It has yielded some measurable outcomes in the form of increased school enrolment and the creation of more jobs.
“One of the key components of the NSIP is the N-Power programme and its sub-components has led to the creation of job opportunities in different sectors of the economy for young persons.
“For example, in the past three years, the programme has yielded over 2 million direct and indirect employment opportunities and has lifted over 5 million Nigerians out of extreme poverty.
“In addition to this achievement, some sectors of the economy with high propensity for massive job creation and employment generation were specifically target by the government for various forms of support’’, the statement by the SGF highlighted.