40m Nigerian youths still unemployed – NECA

Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, Mr Olusegun Oshinowo, said over 40 million Nigerian youths remained unemployed in spite of the Federal Government’s efforts at reducing unemployment.

Oshinowo made the announcement yesterday in an interview with newsmen shortly after inspecting facilities at Ruff’n and Tumbles Clothing’s in Lagos.

Ruff’n Tumbles is into children’s fashion. The company also engages in the training of youths in fashion making.

He said the idea of Nigerian youths seeking white collar jobs would never take them to anywhere. The director-general said NECA collaborated with the Industrial Training Fund, ITF, to ensure that unemployment was reduced in Nigeria by training youths on dress making.

“NECA and ITF are partnering with Ruff’n Tumbles Clothes to see how we can use their company train interested youths that have passion for fashion so that they can have a more meaningful life to themselves after the training,” he said.

The association boss said this would entail getting unemployed Nigerians to acquire technical and vocational skills with the purpose of seeking self- employment.

He said the aim of the training was to take unemployed youths out of the streets by training them on skills of their choice.

“We will make the training open to the public so that the process will be fair. The training will also be free and the trainees will also be given some stipend.

The ITF Director-General, Dr Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, disclosed that President Goodluck Jonathan had mandated the body to create three million jobs every year.

He described the partnership with NECA as a beautiful one that would make the ITF to achieve its mandate.

Mrs Adenike Ogunlesi, Chief Executive Officer of Ruff’n Tumbles Clothing, said the project was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility in reducing the level of unemployment in the country.