At least four PhD holders in Ogun
state applied for jobs under the newly launched public works programme meant
for the recruitment of 774, 000 Nigerians.
The federal government had in
July kicked off the special public works programme which is coordinated by the
ministry of labour and employment.
The scheme was part of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s fiscal stimulus measures in response to the COVID-19
pandemic.
A total of 1,000 Nigerians from
each of the 774 local government areas are to be engaged in the programme
coordinated by constituted state committees.
The jobs, under the programme,
are for unskilled labour and successful applicants are to earn N20, 000 monthly
for three months.
According to its Labour Force
Statistics report released on Monday, the number of unemployed Nigerians went
from 20.93 in 2018 to 21.76 million in the second quarter of 2020.
This means more than 17 million
Nigerians have become unemployed since December 2014, while the total working
age population has grown by almost the same number in those six years.
In an interview with PUNCH,
Gbenga Obadara, Ogun state chairman of special public works, said four PhD and
200 master’s degree holders are among applicants in the state.
“Four PhD and master’s degree
holders have applied. Poverty is ravaging. Unemployment is extremely on the
high rise. People with master’s degrees and even PhD degrees are applying for 20,000 jobs. That is the problem.
It cannot cover everybody. We cannot blame the federal government,” he was
quoted to have said.
According to him, the committee
started distribution of forms four weeks ago and that almost 20,000 persons from 20 local government areas
in the state had obtained the forms.
He also described the 20,000
slots allotted to the state as “a drop off in the ocean.”
Unemployment is one of the major
issues under this government. In its labour force statistics released earlier
in the month, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said 21.76 million
Nigerians are unemployed.
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