Minister of State for Labour, Mr Festus Keyamo, on Friday said the Federal Government was committed to promoting skills acquisition to ensure competitiveness and economic emancipation.
The minister stated this during the special day for the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) at the ongoing 43rd Kaduna International Trade Fair.
He said that the FG was discussing with other African countries the proposed single Eco currency initiative to strengthen bilateral ties with neighbouring countries for effective mobilization of resources.
“Nigeria is striving to borrow a leaf from the big economies such as China, South Korea, Malaysia and India, who have consistently invested in their skills and small scale entrepreneurship development to command global attention.”
“It is incontrovertible that the present administration has scored very high mark in the provision of jobs and infrastructure for the betterment and wellbeing of all,’’ he said.
Keyamo commended the NDE for providing programmes where youths learned entrepreneurial skills that would enable them to set up and run private enterprises.
He stated that the promotion of NDE-sponsored entrepreneurs to attend Trade Fairs would enable them to exchange useful ideas with other participants thereby sporing them to greater heights.
He urged all unemployed youths and graduates to take a cue from the exhibitors in the NDE pavilion, to become self-reliant.
Earlier, the Director-General NDE, Malam Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo, had commended organisers of the fair for choosing the theme, “Re-strategizing Nigeria’s Economy for Global Competitiveness”, saying it was apt.
He stated that the NDE had made a significant impact on job creation and employment generation nationwide in the last year.
“It is our desire to skill-up the entire country and empower all willing Nigerians to be self-employed. Our determination in this regard is founded on our conviction that most developed nations achieve economic prosperity through small businesses in the informal sector that provides employment for the majority of the populace,’’ he said.
He urged all unskilled and unemployed persons in Nigeria to embrace the opportunity for self-reliance as presented in all states by the NDE.
In his remarks, Alhaji Suleiman Aliyu, the President, Kaduna State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA), commended the NDE for engaging youths in skills acquisition.
He stated that KADCCIMA would continue to promote and encourage the production and exhibition of made in Nigeria goods to achieve economic sustainability.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the Labour Minister inspected the NDE pavilion to see products made by the beneficiaries of programmes of the directorate.