President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the employment of 774, 000 Nigerians as part of strategies to create jobs in reducing the effect of COVID-19 on the youths.
muhammadu Buhari
As Nigeria marks this year’s Democracy Day today, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the employment of 774, 000 Nigerians as part of strategies to create jobs in reducing the effect of COVID-19 on the youths.
Buhari in a nationwide broadcast this morning, explained that the young people will be engaged in “Special Public Works Pogramme” aimed at cushioning the effects of economic downturn.
According to him, “each of the 774 local government areas in the country will be allotted 1,000 slots. I am pleased to report that this programme has commenced.”
The President said “Our youth population remains a source of strength in achieving development objectives. In this regard, we would continue to concentrate in developing their skills, providing them with opportunities to express their entrepreneurial, research and industrial capacities as well as ample opportunity to take leadership positions in the service of the nation.”
He added that “In the face of dwindling resources and rising cost of governance, I have authorized that the White Paper on the Rationalisation of Government Parastatals and Agencies be reviewed for implementation.”
“Our Social Investment Programme has continued to be a model to other nations and has engaged 549,500 N-Power beneficiaries, 408,682 beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme and 2,238,334 beneficiaries of the Growth Enhancement and Empowerment Programme. This is being done in collaboration with States.” The President said.
Buhari said Marketmoni” and “Tradermoni” Programmes have provided affordable loans to small and micro scale enterprises to grow their businesses. Under the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, over 9,963,729 children are being fed to keep them in school and improve their nutritional status.
He assured Nigerians that his “government is determined to turn this COVID-19 challenge into a motivation to action by building a nation-wide public health care system that will help us overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for any future outbreak.”
He charged inventors, researchers and scientists to come up with solutions to cure COVID-19.