16.5 million Nigerians are currently jobless, the recently inaugurated Presidential Jobs Board has revealed.
Quoting the National Bureau of Statistics, the board, estimated the country’s unemployment rate at 23.9 per cent.
The board chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo has the responsibility of identifying most probable sources of generating three million jobs for Nigerians within 12 months as one of its seven terms of reference.
It disclosed that apart from the 16.5 million jobless Nigerians, the country’s workforce grows by approximately two million people yearly out of which almost one million are tertiary institutions graduates.
The board added that to meaningfully address the unemployment situation and bring it down below 10 per cent, Nigeria must create three to four million new jobs every year for the next 10 years.
“This is a major feat which will require a concerted, intense and consistent approach to job creation across multiple MDAs and with strong commitment from the private sector,” it added.
To further address the unemployment challenge, the board stressed the need for the country to pass a law to properly institutionalise its agenda on job creation and employment promotion.
It made a case for the immediate preparation of what it called “Nigerians Jobs Creation and Employment Bill” that will be sent to the National Assembly for passage.
“The Act would consolidate national policy on employment incentives, skills strategies, jobs matching programmes, institutional support for jobs creation, the jobs board, jobs centres, disability employment, military veteran employment and many other issues. Such a bill should be sponsored by the Presidential Jobs Board,” the board added.
It further recommended the conversion of the 74 vocational skills training centres of the National Directorate of Employment into “National Jobs Centres” to serve as one-stop career centres to match employers and jobs seekers.