The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to create 1000 jobs per local government in a bid to cushion the econmic effect of coronavirus.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, says President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the engagement of 774, 000 Nigerians on Special Public Works programme in the country to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.
Mrs Ahmed disclosed this at a press conference on fiscal stimulus measures in response to COVID-19 pandemic and oil prices fiscal shock, on Monday in Abuja.
She explained that 1, 000 people were expected to be recruited from each of the 774 local government areas in the country.
However, most young Nigerians reacted negatively to the news when it was tweeted by Bashir Ahmad, the personal assistant to President Buhari on new media. The reaction was that of distrust and discconnection owing to the fact that unemployment has multiplied in millions since the inception of Buhari’s regime. They also expressed reservation about creating jobs since the few recruitment conducted by the present administration was marred by employment buying whereby jobless graduates were asked to pay from N500,000 to N2million before they will be employed. The unemployment rate in Nigeria has risen to 23.1 in the year 2020. The coronvirus pandemic has further worsened the Nigeria’s unemployment crises. More than 90% of youths in Nigeria remain unemployed and unproductive.
