Ngige : unemployed Nigerians should register for Social Intervention Scheme

Sen. Chris Ngige, the
Minister of Labour and
Employment has urges
unemployed Nigerians to register
at the online job portal of the
Social Intervention Scheme of the
Federal Government.

Ngige's call is revealed in a
statement released by Mr Samuel
Olowookere, the Deputy Director,
Press in the ministry on Sunday
in Abuja.

The minister said that the program was set up for all unemployed
Nigerians. Therefore, he urges them to
register at the online job portal as this will give them the chance to
gain from different
categories of programmes which
government was offering.
``You must register to benefit
from the Social Intervention
Scheme. Unfortunately, as we
speak, by last week, the portal
has only recorded about 1.2
million persons.
``We expect more persons to
have been registered in the
portal before our screening
exercise; the registration on the
portal is Npower.ng.org. The
portal closes Aug. 31, which is
just few days away.
``For those who are not
computer literate, we advise
state governments to encourage
them by using local government
chairmen to move into local
government areas to register the
unemployed persons there.
``So that they can qualify to be
considered for the scheme. Each
state of the federation is
expected to recruit about 1, 500
persons,'' he said.

The minister made the above statement at
the weekend, when he was inaugurating
the National Directorate of
Employment (NDE) School-to-
Work Programme in Calabar.

The senator said the
School-To-Work programme was also a scheme designed to divert youth
attention from over reliance on white-collar jobs.
``We are building a generation of
Nigerians where creative
thinking, self-confidence and
dignity of labour will challenge
the prevailing unemployment
scourge.
``We are building a generation of
Nigerians who will not only
create wealth with their hands,
but are proud employers with
skills from hands that God has
given them, ''he added.
``By this, we are re-thinking a
university education system
where graduates fold hands and
wait for food on their table,"
Ngige said.