FG rolls out employment programme for jobless Nigerians

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Labour and Employment, is set to introduce the Renewed Hope Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme (LEEP) this month, aimed at providing job opportunities for unemployed Nigerians.

Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, made this known on Thursday in Abuja.

She noted that LEEP is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to address unemployment and boost the country’s economic growth.

According to Onyejeocha, “LEEP is a comprehensive suite of interventions aimed at job creation,” spearheaded by the ministry. She highlighted that the initiative is designed to generate 2.5 million direct and indirect jobs annually while safeguarding the welfare and safety of workers nationwide.

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• Obey court order on Rivers LG poll, PDP tells Fubara

“Through the LEEP Digital Nomads pillar, we will develop and nurture the talents and expertise of our significant youth population, enabling them to access 10x income revenue streams from the global job market. This will be achieved by enhancing their digital literacy and global remote work offerings,” Onyejeocha said.

The minister also revealed that the LEEP Vocational and Entrepreneurship Programme (VEP) would focus on providing industrial and cottage skills training, equipping individuals with the tools for employment and entrepreneurship.

“We will upgrade and expand our National Electronic Labour Exchange (NELEX) platform to accelerate automated recruitment processes for all types of employment nationwide,” she added.

Onyejeocha further disclosed that, under the LEEP Job Fairs, the government will collaborate with private sector employers to host annual events that connect job seekers with employers and partners across Nigeria.

She also mentioned the LEEP Center for Learning Spaces initiative, which aims to upgrade and modernize the Ministry’s existing facilities and those of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), to cater to the growing demand for apprenticeships, production hubs, and business incubators.

FG rolls out employment programme for jobless Nigerians

Obey court order on Rivers LG poll, PDP tells Fubara

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has warned the state governor, Siminialayi Fubara, against conducting a local government election on Saturday October 5.

It said holding the election would be disobeying the Federal High Court judgement and an invitation to trouble.

The PDP state chairman, Chukwuemeka Aaron, said participating in or conducting the election contrary to the court’s judgment would be unlawful.

He urged the citizens to disregard any announcements calling for local government elections on October 5, citing a Federal High Court judgment that halted the poll.

Aaron stressed the party’s commitment to upholding the rule of law, adding that the RSIEC and the State government could not choose which court orders to obey or ignore.

He called on Rivers State governor, a PDP member, to comply fully with the court’s judgment.

He said, “The PDP, having reviewed all the cases relating to the local government elections, concludes as follows: we cannot support or promote lawlessness, or impunity in any form whatsoever even though we are the ruling party in Rivers State.

“The proper court judgment must be obeyed as we cannot choose which order of the court to obey and not to obey.

“We, therefore call on the Rivers State governor who incidentally is a member of our great party the PDP to obey and comply wholly and strictly with the judgment of the Federal High Court in line with our character and ethics of our party, the PDP and suspend the planned October 5 local government elections in Rivers State.”

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Aaron commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for standing by the truth and complying with the court’s judgment.

He said INEC had clarified that it did not release the Voters Register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), a critical requirement for the elections.

While commending the Nigerian Police for standing by the Federal High Court judgment, Aaron, however, cautioned that announcing election results despite the suspension would be considered an invitation to violence.

He said, “We also call on our members and indeed the law-abiding residents of Rivers State to defend the rule of law ensuring full compliance with the judgment from the Federal High Court.

“Nobody should participate in or allow the conduct of any local government elections in deviance from the judgement of the Federal High Court.

“We want to thank the INEC for standing on the part of the truth, clearing the air on the non-release of Voters Register to RSIEC, and for complying with the Federal High Court judgment.

“We also commend the Nigerian Police for standing up to the Federal High judgment being the latest on the Rivers State Local government elections.

“We want to caution that any attempt to announce any results whatsoever will be an invitation to violence and will be properly revisited as no election will be held in Rivers State on the 5th of October as ordered by the court.

“We enjoin the general public to disregard any announcements calling for the October 5 local government elections, for the same is a call for crisis and which will not be in the interest of Rivers people.”

Obey court order on Rivers LG poll, PDP tells Fubara

Nigeria gets new $500m World Bank loan

The World Bank has approved a 500 million dollar loan to support the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria, SPIN, project aimed at reducing climate-induced challenges.

Chakib Jenane, World Bank’s Regional Director, Sustainable Infrastructure Development for West and Central Africa, announced this during a visit to Water Resources and Sanitation Minister in Abuja on Thursday.

Mr Jenane said that the SPIN project was approved during the World Bank’s Board meeting on Sept. 26, adding that it was scheduled to begin in January 2025.

According to him, the project is designed to address climate-related issues, including floods and droughts, through enhanced dam safety, improved water resource management, and expanded irrigation services.

The World Bank director said that the project would benefit approximately 950,000 people, including farmers and livestock breeders.

Jenane emphasised the need for Nigeria to continue preparations to meet the remaining conditions in order for the project to be effective by the Jan. 2025 target date.

The World Bank team also provided an update on the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) project, which is nearing completion.

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The team also gave an update on the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme, and stressed the importance of involving more states in the initiative.

Jenane encouraged the ministry to explore the establishment of a National WASH Fund, a key objective under the SURWASH programme’s Disbursement Linked Indicator (DLI) 1.

The Minister, Prof. Joseph Utsev, expressed his appreciation to the bank for its continued support of Nigeria’s development, particularly in sustainable infrastructure and water resource management.

He assured the delegation that the Nigerian government would provide the necessary counterpart funding support to ensure the successful implementation of all World Bank-backed projects.

Utsev also emphasised the importance of completing the TRIMING Project on schedule, and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to meeting the project’s Jan. 2025 deadline.

Also speaking, Dr Bello Goronyo, the Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, thanked the bank for its approval of the SPIN project.

Goronyo also reiterated the ministry’s commitment to ensuring success of the project through collaborative efforts.

SPIN also mulls developing a master plan for hydropower generation, with a focus on boosting energy production through public-private partnerships.

Nigeria gets new $500m World Bank loan
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