The Ministry of Labour and Employment has unveiled plans by the Federal Government to adopt more proactive steps at curbing unemployment.
Dr Chris Ngige
Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, has revealed that the Federal Government will design a new approach that will tackle the massive youth unemployment in the country and assist in moving the economy forward for the benefit of the people.
The Minister made the revelation in Umuahia when he paid a courtesy visit to the Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
He assured that the government would depart from the old ways of tackling the perennial problem of youth unemployment, as his ministry will give attention to skill acquisition to enable people to be self employed as against being job seekers.
Ngige, who was in the state to commission an ICT skill acquisition centre completed by the National Directorate of Employment, NDE, at Ugwunagbo Local Government Area, LGA, explained that the directorate was committed to combating unemployment in addition to formulating policies on employment.
Ngige said: “Government cannot give employment to everybody, but we can teach people how to employ themselves. The NDE established the skills acquisition centers where people are trained on how to do things with their hands and earn a living for themselves.”
He also revealed that the NDE would keep a database of employed, unemployed, employable, under-employed and gainfully employed youths of the country for easy assessment.