- Fed Govt to Stem Job Losses, Says Ngige
Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige has assured Nigerians of a brighter year, adding that the Federal Government has moved to stem job losses and create new ones.
The Minister, in a New Year message, urged Nigerians not to tremble over the statistics on job losses released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
He said the development was modulated by a similar release by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which indicated more than seven million job growth in the agricultural sector.
Ngige said: “I wish to assure Nigerians that 2018 will not be as bleak as 2017 in terms of job losses as the Federal Government has put enough checks to forestall a repeat of what was encountered in 2017.
“As a matter of fact, the figure released by the NBC must be placed
alongside statistics by the CBN, which showed that over seven million jobs have been created in the agricultural sector. This is the only way to arrive at a balanced job situation in the country.”
He further noted that the Federal Government will work harder in the New Year to create more jobs and sustain the current efforts at protecting the existing ones.
The minister said: “We shall continue to maintain our principled stand against retrenchment and encourage the state governments to do same.”
