Govt created 1.6 million jobs in 12 months
By The Citizen
The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,
says the Federal Government has created 1.6
million jobs in the past 12 months.
Okonjo-Iweala disclosed this during her
presentation at an interactive session with the
private sector, where she said that a total of
432,021 jobs were created during the first quarter
of the year, adding that this figure represented
about 11.69 per cent increase over the number of
jobs created during the fourth quarter of 2012.
She stated, 'We have created 1.6 million jobs in
the past 12 months. 431,021 jobs were created in
the first quarter of 2013, showing an upward trend
in job creation and an increase of 11.69 per cent
from the fourth quarter of 2012.'
Okonjo-Iweala said a key government programme
focused on direct job creation was the Community
Service Scheme, which aims to engage 320,000
youths in labour intensive work such as
construction and rehabilitation of social and
economic infrastructure.
According to her presentation, about 120,000
people have been employed so far under the
scheme, which is being anchored by the Subsidy
Re-Investment Programme.
She also listed the Graduate Internship Scheme,
which aims to attach 50,000 graduates to
competent firms to enhance skills development
towards employability. She noted that 4,000
graduates had emerged so far under the scheme.
According to Okonjo-Iweala, who spoke on the
'Economy's macroeconomic performance for 2013
and the outlook for 2014,' the Gross Domestic
Product growth is expected at 6.75 per cent at the
end of 2013, up from 6.61 per cent in 2012.
She recalled that the GDP growth in the first three
quarters of 2013 stood at 6.56 per cent, 6.18 per
cent and 6.81 per cent respectively.
The minister noted that economic growth during
the year had continued to be driven by the non-oil
sector.
However, she lamented that the rate of economic
growth as well as the quality of growth had been
very slow, underscoring the need for improvement.
'Nigeria needs to grow faster in the job-creating
sectors at between nine to10 per cent per annum
to create the number of jobs needed to
substantially reduce poverty,' she said, adding,
'GDP rebasing, which is currently in progress,
could increase GDP substantially but its impact on
growth rates is not yet certain.'
She further noted, 'Economic growth needs to be
more inclusive as inequality is high and rising in
Nigeria; this needs to be reversed.'
In order to achieve this, the minister said the
Federal Government would in 2014 make efforts to
'remove structural bottlenecks' in sectors as
power, ports, rail, roads, communication
technology (broadband) and aviation.
Also, there will be an improvement in the business
climate and efforts will be made to reduce
bureaucracy and fight corruption.
She gave the assurance that the government
would in 2014 enact supportive polices for
sectoral growth in agriculture, housing,
manufacturing, creative industries, solid minerals,
oil and gas and petrochemicals, among others.
'We will also build social safety nets for vulnerable
women, children, and the disabled to address
regional disparities,' she added.
SOURCE: http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/
nvnews/132826/1/govt-created-16-million-jobs-in
-12-months-okonjo-i.html

For whr?

This woman should stop lying abeg,she is too old for that. When are those jobs created when graduates are still unemployed and roaming the streets in search of jobs.

ghost jobs..
After subsidy removal/palava, this is what i know that they will say, to defend themselves. Mtschewwwww

the woman is a random liar that lies with a straight face....she is so used to lying....she promised us after the debt relief payment to Paris club we will ve this and that....still Nuffin....she said if ASSU gets the money they want Nigeria will go broke till date Nigeria is not broke.....she is what she is ......just another economic hit man sent to destroy our economy....if you have read the book ECONOMY HITMAN you will know how her lot roll