By Keyamo SAN
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo has
explained how Nigeria can stop being the poverty capital of the
world.
The minister explained that the empowerment of people in rural
areas under the Special Public Works (SPW) Programme would help
lift the poverty status of the country.
Keyamo said that countries such as India, China and Bangladesh
adopted the programme to lift their countries out of the league of
poor nations.
He spoke during a press conference on Thursday in Abuja.
Under the programme, workers recruited through the 774 Local
Government Areas will be paid N20, 000 each for the three months
duration of the programme.
“This Programme was one of the main reasons Indian quickly
dropped in the poverty index and Nigeria overtook India at a
point.
“Consequently and arising from the need and desire of the
Federal Government to create massive jobs at the lowest rung of the
economy as well as to maintain critical public and social
infrastructure at the rural base of the economy, Mr. President has
approved that we also adopt and integrate this type of Programme
into the Nigerian economy,” the minister said.
Keyamo said that Buhari has given approval for the extension of
the programme aimed at recruiting 1, 000 workers in each local
government areas in the 36 states and the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja.
The SPW will be implemented across the 774 LGAs in the country
by the National Directorate of Employment in rural communities.
The pilot scheme was implemented in five LGAs in eight states of
Borno, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Jigawa, Katsina and Kwara, with
beneficiaries engaged in drainage digging and clearance, irrigation
canals clearance, rural feeder road maintenance among others.
He said: “You will recall that the minister of finance, budget
and national planning announced the approval of Mr. President for
the extension of this Programme to all 36 states and the FCT from
October – December 2020 as a means of mitigating the effect of the
COVID -19 pandemic on the economy.
“The Programme is also expected to provide modest stipends for
itinerant workers to undertake roads rehabilitation and social
housing construction, urban and rural sanitation, health extension
and other critical services. Hence the directive of Mr. President
for the NDE to collaborate with other ministries with rural
components in their mandates.”
By Keyamo SAN
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo has
explained how Nigeria can stop being the poverty capital of the
world.
The minister explained that the empowerment of people in rural
areas under the Special Public Works (SPW) Programme would help
lift the poverty status of the country.
Keyamo said that countries such as India, China and Bangladesh
adopted the programme to lift their countries out of the league of
poor nations.
He spoke during a press conference on Thursday in Abuja.
Under the programme, workers recruited through the 774 Local
Government Areas will be paid N20, 000 each for the three months
duration of the programme.
“This Programme was one of the main reasons Indian quickly
dropped in the poverty index and Nigeria overtook India at a
point.
“Consequently and arising from the need and desire of the
Federal Government to create massive jobs at the lowest rung of the
economy as well as to maintain critical public and social
infrastructure at the rural base of the economy, Mr. President has
approved that we also adopt and integrate this type of Programme
into the Nigerian economy,” the minister said.
Keyamo said that Buhari has given approval for the extension of
the programme aimed at recruiting 1, 000 workers in each local
government areas in the 36 states and the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja.
The SPW will be implemented across the 774 LGAs in the country
by the National Directorate of Employment in rural communities.
The pilot scheme was implemented in five LGAs in eight states of
Borno, Adamawa, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Jigawa, Katsina and Kwara, with
beneficiaries engaged in drainage digging and clearance, irrigation
canals clearance, rural feeder road maintenance among others.
He said: “You will recall that the minister of finance, budget
and national planning announced the approval of Mr. President for
the extension of this Programme to all 36 states and the FCT from
October – December 2020 as a means of mitigating the effect of the
COVID -19 pandemic on the economy.
“The Programme is also expected to provide modest stipends for
itinerant workers to undertake roads rehabilitation and social
housing construction, urban and rural sanitation, health extension
and other critical services. Hence the directive of Mr. President
for the NDE to collaborate with other ministries with rural
components in their mandates.”