President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday inaugurated the Public Works and Women/Youth Employment Project, which is targeted at generating 370,000 jobs across the country before the end of the year.

The PWW/YEP is expected to generate 50,000 skilled and 320,000 unskilled job opportunities, and is to be implemented in partnership with the states, local governments and the private sector.

The project, a component of the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme, was inaugurated at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

In an address at the event, Jonathan said his administration was determined to address the problem of youth unemployment, having recognised the country’s youths as strategic partners in national development.

He explained that the PW/WYE was designed to create immediate employment opportunities for women and youths in labour intensive public work schemes.

The President stressed that the project was also a major feature of his administration’s plans to address the escalation of violent crimes in the country, a development that he attributed to the high youth unemployment rate.

He said, “This administration views the prevailing high rate of unemployment among our youths with great concern, especially with the rising state of youth militancy, violent crimes and other social vices, which are inimical to the political and economic stability of the nation.

“The burden of frontally addressing and reversing the trend should involve every segment of our society.”

Jonathan added that the project was targeted at the largest population of unskilled, unemployed and underemployed women and youths, as well as other vulnerable groups in the society by presenting them with opportunities in the public works programmes, and internships with corporate organisations for the skilled and educated.

Areas in which the project intends to generate unskilled employment opportunities include erosion control, waste disposal and sanitation, tree planting and afforestation, administration and maintenance of rural feeder roads, and health and education institutions.

In the same vein, the project intends to create skilled employment by partnering the private sector and concerned government establishments to provide internship opportunities for unemployed and underemployed youths.

Jonathan said government had set aside some portion of the proceeds of the partial subsidy on petrol to support the project.

Also speaking at the event, Vice-President Namadi Sambo solicited the support of all Nigerians towards the successful implementation of the project.

He noted that job creation was among the four pillars of the administration’s transformation agenda.

On her part, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, while providing further insight on the project, disclosed that the Federal Government planned to create 10,000 jobs in each state of the federation.

-Punch

Posted by admin on Feb 14 2012. Filed under Latest Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry