- Ministry Strengthens Fight Against Child Labour
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Bolaji Adebiyi, has restated the ministry`s preparedness to champion the fight against child labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and forced labour in line with emerging global trends in labour administration.
Adebiyi stated this while addressing the strategy meeting of the National Steering Committee on Child Labour, in Abuja. He acknowledged that one of the emerging global trends in labour administration is the renewed fight against child labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and forced labour as encapsulated in the Alliance 8.7.
He said Nigeria, as a signatory to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, should not be found lagging behind, but rather, should be at the forefront of the pursuit of these objectives.
He said the fight against the scourge of child labour will require the innovation and collaboration of stakeholders, as the Federal Government cannot do it alone.
He said: “Eradication of child labour can only be accelerated through leveraging expertise across diverse fields. Hence, Target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals and Alliance 8.7, emphatically requests stakeholders in the fight against the scourge of child labour to work together in new innovative and collaborative ways.”
Also, the Federal Government has restated its commitment to reduce unemployment in the country through the construction of new skills acquisition centres, as well as completion and rehabilitation of abandoned centres.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Federal Specialist Skills Acquisition Centre, Ifitedunu, Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, said the government was working towards reducing unemployment in the country within a short to medium-term frame.
“The good news is that the Federal Government, through well-articulated strategies, which include the construction of new skills acquisition centres, completion and rehabilitation of abandoned and dilapidated centres across the country, is working towards curtailing unemployment in the country,” he said.
Ngige stressed that the focus on vocational skills acquisition as a strategy to combat youth unemployment, is predicated on its successful deployment by both developing and developed nations to stem the tide of unemployment and trends in modern labour market demand for a developing nation like Nigeria.
He said the specialised skills acquisition centres are also designed to provide hands-on skills in modern building and construction techniques, including welding and fabrication to produce metal doors among others.
“We are focusing on skills acquisition because the trend in modern labour market demands for a growing country like ours. With a huge housing deficit of 17 million and with the estimated construction of 1,000 housing units in each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria has the potential of creating over three million jobs in a year with huge multiplier effects.
“Countries like America, Britain and Canada are reported to have recorded 80 to 70 per cent contributions to their GDP through housing and construction sector, this is achievable in Nigeria,” Ngige said.
