Labour ministry not created to provide jobs – Minister

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, stated on Thursday that the ministry was not established to provide jobs for Nigerians.

This is as the Special Adviser to the President on Communication and Orientation, Sunday Dare, revealed that 13 to 14 key reforms are underway with the ultimate goal of economic growth.

The minister stated this at the annual conference of the Federal Capital Territory chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in Abuja.

Dingyadi stressed that the provision of employment for youths was not their responsibility.

He, however, said that his ministry is mindful of Nigeria’s enormous youth population and the need to ensure that they are gainfully engaged.

According to the former minister of police affairs, their main task was to create an enabling environment and never to secure jobs for anybody.

He said, “You will agree with me that the mandate of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is never to give employment to people.

“But it is at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly as it relates to job creation, sustained and inclusive investment, as well as the promotion of enhanced productivity for improved service delivery.

“As you are aware, the ministry is not there to provide employment because the former minister of youths and sports (Sunday Dare), before he left, was asking me to give him jobs. I said we only create the environment for jobs. We don’t give jobs.

“Mr President is poised and committed to providing the requisite leadership and driving initiatives geared towards Nigeria’s economic recovery and transformation. This is evident in the recent successful negotiation of a new Minimum Wage for Nigerian workers, and the FG’s deliberate efforts towards sustainable strategic investments in human capital, infrastructure, innovation, and institutional reforms.”

Dare urged Nigerians not to give up on Tinubu over the current hardship rocking the nation.

The former minister of sports assured that though every economic reform comes with excruciating pain, they should take solace in the fact that some of the President’s initiatives are beginning to yield results

He said, “We have a president who has embarked on a road less traveled. Reforms in the oil sector, manufacturing, youth, fiscal and monetary policies, and reform in the power sector.

“Almost 13 or 14 reforms ongoing. We’re beginning to see the benefits of these reforms. I often like to say that reforms bring about changes, sometimes often painful, but necessary.

“I also say we have a president who believes that failure to take one stitch now will mean that you’re going to have to take nine stitches down the road. And I believe one step for now is better. But also a president who’s mindful of the difficulties that we’re going through as a people.
Who’s working arduously to provide options, to provide solutions.

“So we’re taking these challenges head-on. The president is providing options. And that’s what you find in every society where you have reforms taking place.

“Reforms do not suggest that you go from zero to 100 per cent. Reforms occur and you have progressive success and benefits occurring. We’re at that point after 18 months.”