FG lifts 5m Nigerians out of extreme poverty in 3 years – Presidency

President Muhammadu Buhari, says the Federal Government’s
introduced National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), has in
three years, lifted no fewer than 5 million Nigerians out of
extreme poverty.

Buhari said this at the opening of the Global Youth Employment
Forum of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Abuja on
Thursday.

He said that the forum was an opportunity for young persons to
address the challenges of national economic stability.

Represented by Mr Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of
the Federation, Buhari commended the ILO for committing itself to
youth employment.

He noted that the Federal Government had an in-depth
understanding of the rapidly changing demographics and the emerging
world of work.

“We note at this point that the issue of youth unemployment has
assumed a global significant, and on the front burner of
development discourse.

“The government of Nigeria understands the need to focus
attention on youth empowerment by creating the enabling environment
for job opportunities and capacity building.

“The present administration from the onset, made the investment
in our people, one of the key goals of the Economic Recovery and
Growth Plan, which is the national development blueprint from the
period of 2017 to 2020.

“The implementation of the plan also has the flagship programme
such as the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

“It has yielded some measurable outcomes in the form of
increased school enrolment and the creation of more jobs.

“One of the key components of the NSIP is the N-Power programme
and its sub-components has led to the creation of job opportunities
in different sectors of the economy for young persons.

“For example, in the past three years, the programme has yielded
over 2 million direct and indirect employment opportunities and has
lifted over 5 million Nigerians out of extreme poverty,

“In addition to this achievement, some sectors of the economy
with high propensity for massive job creation and employment
generation were specifically target by the government for various
forms of support.’’

Buhari noted that these sectors included agriculture, solid
minerals, power, works and housing, trade and investment, and also
in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The president said some programmes of the federal government
were also targeted at the informal sectors, improving their
capacity and boosting the domestic economy, such as the import
restriction the executive order on ease of doing business.

The ILO Director General, Mr Guy Ryder, called on governments
and the social partners to foster pro-employment growth and decent
job creation through macroeconomic policies.

According to him, with right macro-economic policies in place,
it will promote youth employability, youth entrepreneurship and
rights to tackle the social consequences of youth unemployment.

“There is the need to promote macroeconomic policies and fiscal
incentives that support employment and stronger aggregate demand,
improve access to finance and increase productive investment,
taking account of different economic situations in countries.’’

He recalled that at its 101st International Labour Conference in
June 2012, the ILO adopted a Resolution calling for immediate,
targeted and renewed action to tackle the youth employment
crisis.

NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, said the event was an opportunity
to cross-fertilise ideas in addressing the global challenge of
unemployment and under-employment.

He said that young persons have the potential to contribute
positively to national development, stressing the hope that the
forum would seek out solutions to the fundamental issues fueling
the challenge of work.

Earlier, Mr Williams Alo, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry
of Labour and Employment, said the forum reminded all countries to
do things differently, saying Nigeria could not continue to do
things differently and expected a positive change.

“After three years of rising unemployment rates, the ILO 2018
World Employment Social Outlook forecast a slight drop in global
unemployment rate from 5.6 per cent in 2017 to 5.5 per cent in
2018.

“However, with ever increasing number of person entering into
the labour market to seek employment, youth continue to face
substantially worse labour market conditions that their adult
counterparts,’’ he said.

(NAN)

We Dont Have Secret Graveyards in North-East-
DHQ

The Defence Headquarters has noted with dismay an Online Article
by “Wall Street Journal” purporting that the Nigerian Military
maintains secret graveyards in the North East theatre of operation.
This insinuation can only emanate from an uninformed position of
the author of the said publication. It therefore becomes necessary
to inform the public that the Armed Forces of Nigeria has a rich
and solemn tradition for the interment of our fallen heroes.
Therefore, it must be unambigously clarified that the Armed Forces
of Nigeria does not indulge in secret burials, as it is
sacrilegious and a profanity to extant ethos and traditions of the
Nigerian military.

In tandem with the traditions of the Armed Forces, Fallen heroes
are duly honoured and paid the last respect in befitting military
funeral of international standard, featuring funeral parade, grave
site oration, solemn prayers for the repose of departed souls by
Islamic and Christian clerics, as well as gun salutes, aside other
military funeral rites.

The cemetery described in the publication, which is situated in
Maimalari military Cantonment is an officially designated military
cemetery for the Armed Forces of Nigeria in the North East theatre,
with a Cenotaph erected in honour of our fallen heroes. The
official cemetery has played host to several national and
international dignitaries, where wreaths were laid in honour of the
fallen heroes. It is therefore a far cry from the sacrilegious
impression being painted by “Wall Street Journal”.

The Defence Headquarters therefore urges members of the Armed
Forces and the general public to disregard such a misinformed
publication and see it as a figment of the imagination of the
writer, whose knowledge of military valued ethos and traditions is
grossly misplaced.

ONYEMA NWACHUKWU
Colonel
Director Defence Information