FG, UNIDO partner to tackle youth unemployment

To tackle youth unemployment in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment (FMITI) is partnering the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to organise entrepreneurship and career fairs to train over 1,000 university and secondary school graduates.

The programme will take place at the Velodrome on June 27, in Abuja, and at the Landmark Village in Lagos on July 4, according to the UNIDO in a statement issued recently in Abuja.

The statement states that young Nigerians who are eager to start their own businesses would have a chance to meet and interact with entrepreneurs and representatives of organisations, institutions and companies during the fairs.

It says the initiative, the first of its kind in Nigeria, is aimed at facilitating job matching between job seekers and recruiters, noting further that the fairs would also showcase successful entrepreneurs and promote alternative forms of employment, including self employment.

“UNIDO and FMITI are to utilise the partnership to establish public-private knowledge sharing platforms that will allow unemployed youths to access job opportunities in local businesses and institutions across the country,’’ it says.

According to the UNIDO, an inter-ministerial committee has been inaugurated in February by Samuel Ortom, minister of state for industry, trade and investment, to this effect.

It says that the committee has engaged over 15 federal ministries, departments and agencies from the public sector and more than 30 companies from the private sector.

According to the statement, the aim is to attract over 1,000 university graduates and secondary school graduates between the ages of 18 and 35 years, as participants in the career fairs.

“The ministries include the ministries of Education, Labour and Productivity, Women Affairs,

Youth Development.

“The agencies are Industrial Training Fund (ITF), National Board for Technical Education, National Committee on Job Creation, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), and National University Commission (NUC).

“Others are Small and Medium Enterprises Development of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Bank of Industry (BoI) National Board of Technical Education (NABTEC), Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA).

“Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigeria Chamber of Commerce, Co-operatives, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) are also included,’’ it states.