The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, said, the extended Federal Government Special Public Works Programme of 774,00 jobs opportunities to Nigerians was part of deliberate efforts and conscious strategies to address the ballooning population of unemployed youths and rising insecurity in some parts of the country.
Malami stated this on Saturday in Birnin-Kebbi at the flag-off 774,00 jobs opportunities programme, maintaining that the employment opportunities were part of strategies adopted to fast-track the achievement of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (2017-2020).
This was made known by Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in a statement issued on Saturday the 16th day of January, 2021.
According to the statement, the objective of the programme was to facilitate the creation of productive and inclusive societies in the country and shield the most vulnerable from hunger, poverty, environmental degradation and joblessness.
The Minister disclosed that, the programme was implemented in eight states of the federation with the target of immediately engaging 774,000 selected unemployed Nigerians.
This according to the statement is to execute carefully selected projects across the 774 local government areas in the country. He said 21,000 unemployed youth will benefit from the programme in Kebbi State.
“I am convinced that the programme will provide the necessary economic palliatives to these 774,000 unemployed youths. Added to this, the youth who diligently participate in the projects may deploy the knowledge and skills acquired to become self-employed,” he said.
Malami enumerated several Federal Government intervention programmes to include N-Power programme, Anchor Borrowers programmer which supported over 2000 rice farmers, conditional cash transfers, special loans for small and medium enterprises among others as part of efforts to radically transform the economic fortunes of the Nigerian masses.
He revealed that the Federal Government will come out with sixteen more similar interventions which are aimed at boosting the economy and enhancing the welfare of Nigerians.