It’s not my responsibility to create jobs for Nigerians – Labour minister

• Dingyadi, who stated that his ministry was not oblivious to Nigeria’s huge youth population and the need to ensure gainful engagement, noted that the provision of employment for the youth was not their responsibility.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, says he was not appointed to ensure Nigerians are gainfully employed.

This is even as he asserted that job creation is not part of his mandate and Nigerians expecting his ministry to provide jobs would be disappointed.

Dingyadi made the assertion at the annual conference of the Federal Capital Territory chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in Abuja.

Dingyadi, who stated that his ministry was not oblivious to Nigeria’s huge youth population and the need to ensure gainful engagement, noted that the provision of employment for the youth was not their responsibility.

According to the former minister of police affairs, their main task was to create an enabling and conducive environment and never to provide jobs for anybody.

He said, “You will agree with me that the mandate of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is never to give employment to people.

“However, it is at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly as it relates to job creation, sustained and inclusive investment, as well as the promotion of enhanced productivity for improved service delivery.

“As you are aware, the ministry is not there to provide employment, because the former minister of youths and sports (Sunday Dare), before he left, was asking me to give him jobs. I said we only create the environment for jobs. We don’t give jobs.

“Mr President is poised and committed to providing the requisite leadership and driving initiatives geared towards Nigeria’s economic recovery and transformation.

“This is evident in the recent successful negotiation of a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers, and the deliberate efforts towards sustainable strategic investments in human capital, infrastructure, innovation and institutional reforms.”