ABUJA: The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige (Senator) has disclosed that repositioning the Ministry of Labour and Employment to meet the challenges of unemployment and maintenance of industrial harmony in the labour sector are part of the critical agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB).
The Minister gave this indication in Abuja on Thursday November 19, 2015 when the departments in the Ministry took turns to brief him and the Minister of State, James Ocholi on their activities with a view to providing efficient labour administration in Nigeria.
Chris Ngige affirmed government’s readiness to work with the organized labour unions and employers of labour to ensure peaceful industrial milieu which he believes is pivotal to employment generation as no meaningful development can be achieved in a crisis – prone environment.
“Maintenance of industrial peace and harmony and job creation is a cardinal point of this administration and in doing that we will partner with organized labour unions and employers of labour to ensure the creation of decent employment for teeming Nigerian youths. Peaceful industrial relations environment is a prerequisite for productivity and sustainable development and growth,” he said.
According to the Minister, the presentation was geared towards bringing to the fore , the cardinal areas of opportunities for growth and development in the Ministry for the present administration. He also identified such virtues to include- the development of National Industrial Relations Policy for investors in Nigeria to enable them acquire manpower and create the much needed employment in various sector of the economy. He added that it will guide against unfair labour practices and enthrone decent work agenda with its attendant national social protection in the world of work.
He further disclosed that strengthening and promoting the programme and policies in sectors with high employment generation potentials and monitoring the implementation of the Local Employment Content as well as stimulating private sector participation in the development of programmes and projects will generate decent jobs.
“As part of its job creation efforts, the Ministry will also leverage on advancing Information Communication Technology to resuscitate job centers for job placement, carrier guidance and counseling as well as facilitate labour mobility and extension of employment service to every state of the federation,” he averred.
Ngige added that towards ensuring successful provision of social security protection to the vulnerable group, the Ministry will ensure the development of the National Policy on Social Security, ratify Social Security in line with the ILO Convention 102 as well as develop a national databank on social security and cooperative societies.
Other areas of opportunities for growth, he mentioned were the enforcement of extant labour legislation to ensure compliance and promotion of decent work and increased labour protection services through routine labour inspection. He intensified that the development of a national profile on occupational safety and health will properly identify and develop the National Occupational Safety and Health System for improved participatory management among others.
Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment Report
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