SAN FRANCISCO, December 11, (THEWILL) – The Senate has asked the federal government to initiate a sustainable unemployment fund for the payment of living stipends to unemployed Nigerians until such persons secure employment.
Although the federal government has initiated programmes like the N-Power to reduce the number of unemployed in a country where the unemployment rate was 23.1 per cent by the third quarter of 2018.
The Senate on Wednesday, called on the federal, state, and local governments to declare a state of emergency on the provision of employment to Nigerian youth.
These were some of the resolutions taken by the Senate after it deliberated on a motion on ‘Escalating rate of unemployment in the country.’ The bill was sponsored by former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
Mr Ekweremadu, who raised a Point of Order, complained that the large number of various levels of graduates that Nigeria’s higher institutions are turning out yearly, but cannot be absorbed by the labour market, is a time bomb waiting to explode.
“A situation where every graduate has to queue up for job only in government offices is an indication of the breakdown of the private sector, which is the major driver of world economies.
“These energies and potential talents that are lying idle and wasting away are usually misdirected toward many unprofitable and harmful ventures and lifestyles,” he said.
The Senate thereafter urged the federal government to put up mechanisms and programmes that would provide employment for unemployed graduates/youth at all tiers of government.
The lawmakers also urged the federal, state, and local governments to revitalise existing industries, build new ones, and provide a conducive and enabling environment for the private sector to build more industries.
The Senate asked the federal government to initiate a sustainable unemployment fund for the payment of living stipends to unemployed Nigerians until such persons secure any kind of employment.
