There has been one single promise that has dominated the election manifestos of Nigeria's presidential candidates as they seek to lure the support of the country's voters ahead of polls in February: jobs, jobs and more jobs.

This has also been the one issue that has consumed Immaculate Uba, who lost her bank job two years ago.

"It has been a horrible experience I never expected in my life - knowing fully well that you are willing and able to work but can't secure a job," she told Al Jazeera in Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

"I am still searching for a paid job," she says. In the meantime, she adds, she's trying to make a living by doing bead- and shoe-making work.

Shrinking opportunities
Four out of every 10 people in the country's workforce are either unemployed or underemployed.

The unemployment rate stood at 18.8 percent in the third quarter of 2017, with underemployment at 21.2 percent.

The National Bureau of Statistics has not released new jobs data since last year, prompting accusations by critics that this is due to political reasons.

Meanwhile, a number of companies have exited Nigeria in recent months - the latest being global banking giants HSBC and UBS.

South African casino and hotel operator, Sun International, is also close to shutting operations after its earnings were "hurt by subdued growth and one-off costs", the company said.

Analysts have blamed the exits on shaky investor confidence, dealing a big blow to foreign direct investment and jobs in Africa's most populous nation.

"Nigeria's unemployment level is beyond crisis levels, and ought to be the government's top concern as it has social implications," Cheta Nwanze, head of research at Lagos-based SBM Intelligence, told Al Jazeera, describing the joblessness figures as "unsustainable".

Amid this environment, thousands of young Nigerians are seeing the prospects of landing their dream job fade.

"I had hopes of a very bright career after graduating from university," says Agnes Uzoigwe attention, a 28-year-old who took her geology degree six years ago.

"I looked forward to a job with an oil company in the Niger Delta area but after almost four years of applying for different roles, I got frustrated," she adds, fighting back tears.

"The most annoying thing is that it looks like there's no hope. Those employed by companies are being sacked and people like me with no job experience can't even imagine getting any job," she adds.

Uzoigwe's father, who funded her studies, recently retired as a government employee and is relying on his pension to cater for his family of seven.

After a long period of searching for a job in Abuja, Uzoigwe has now taken up a job as a teacher in a private college. But she says her wage is barely enough to take care of her basic needs.

'Frustrated people will eventually turn to demagogues'
Nigeria is Africa's biggest economy, yet this that has not translated to jobs for many.

Frustrated and desperate, many job seekers have often fallen victim to fake hiring firms which cash in on their need to get a job.

These companies advertise positions with attractive offers, but end up swindling job seekers who are asked to pay "registration and logistics" fees before landing a job.

"With the school system adding roughly a million people a year to the workforce, and a very high birth rate, this represents Nigeria's biggest challenge," Nwanze, the analyst, says.

"Frustrated people will eventually turn to demagogues for their daily bread," he adds.

Political arena
The country's worsening unemployment situation has negatively affected the government's image.

President Muhammadu Buhari won the 2015 elections on the back of a campaign vowing to fix the nation's economy, but has struggled to fix the worsening economic crisis.

Now, ahead of the February elections, he is promising to generate more employment.

"The next level of effort focuses on job creation across various sectors," Buhari said in his election campaign's policy document.

"From an enlargement of the N-Power programme [government loan scheme for young graduates] to investing in technology and creative sector jobs to agriculture and revolutionising access to credit for entrepreneurs and artisans, there is scope for over 15 million new jobs."

His main challenger for the presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, has attacked the government's job creation record since Buhari assumed office four years.

"Close to 16 million people are unemployed, nine million more than in 2014," Abubakar said in his own campaign document.

Abubakar has promised to remedy this with "the creation of up to three million self- and wage-paying employment opportunities in the private sector annually".

Iniobong Paul, a hotelier who lost her job two years ago, told Al Jazeera she hopes that the political promises will be realised after the elections.

"It's not been easy," she says, adding that she looks forward to working again.

South Africa has increased its minimum wage to N126,480 per month. The news is coming at a time Nigerian workers are uncertain their struggle for a N30, 000 minimum wage would yield result.

The Global Wage Report 2018/19 released yesterday reveals that the world’s wage growth also hit a 10-year low, the last of its kind being in 2007.

President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa said the wage, which would come into effect January 1, 2019, would benefit about six million workers that currently earn R3,700 (N97,495).

One South African Rand exchanges for N26.35. This means South African workers would be earning N527 per hour: N4,216 per day and N126,480 per month. Their Nigerian counterparts currently earn N75 per hour, which is N600 per day (at eight working hours per day) and N18,000 per month.

Paid N30,000 as minimum wage, Nigerian workers would be earning N125 per hour or N1,000 per day, which amounts to N30,000 monthly.

Compared, a Nigerian worker would be earning less than a quarter of what the South African takes home monthly.

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Ayuba Wabba said labour would soon meet to draw up a timetable within which government would be expected to conclude work on the new wage.

A report containing the resolution of a tripartite committee on a N30, 000 minimum wage was submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari recently.

Wabba, who spoke at the opening ceremony of NLC’s yearly Harmattan School in Abuja yesterday, however, declined to reveal the timeline. He hinted that the National Administrative Council of Congress would take a decision during its next deliberation, which might hold next week.

The ILO report finds that in real terms (adjusted for price inflation), global wage growth declined to 1.8 per cent in 2017 from 2.4 per cent in 2016. The findings are based on data from 136 countries.

In analysing wage growth, the report finds that in advanced G20 countries, real wage growth declined from 0.9 per cent in 2016 to 0.4 per cent in 2017. By contrast, in emerging and developing G20 countries, real wage growth fluctuated between 4.9 per cent in 2016 and 4.3 per cent in 2017.

In his reaction to the finding, the Director General of ILO, Guy Ryder, said: “It’s puzzling that in high-income economies we see slow wage growth alongside a recovery in GDP growth and falling unemployment. And early indications suggest that slow wage growth continues in 2018.

“Such stagnating wages are an obstacle to economic growth and rising living standards. Countries should explore, with their social partners, ways to achieve socially and economically sustainable wage growth.”

The report notes that in the last 20 years, average real wages have almost tripled in emerging and developing G20 countries, while in advanced G20 countries they have increased by just nine per cent.

In many low and middle-income economies, however, wage inequality remains high and wages are frequently insufficient to cover the needs of workers and their families.

The report calculates gender pay gaps in innovative and more accurate ways, using data covering some 70 countries and about 80 per cent of wage employees worldwide.

It also finds that globally, women continue to be paid approximately 20 per cent less than men. “The gender pay gap represents one of today’s greatest manifestations of social injustice and all countries should try to better understand what lies behind them and accelerate progress towards gender equality,” said Guy Ryder.

The report further finds that in high-income countries, it is at the high end of the pay scale that the gender pay gap is wider; while in low and middle-income countries the gender pay gap is wider among the lower paid workers.

According to econometrician and wage specialist at the ILO and one of the authors of the report, Rosalia Vazquez-Alvarez, “The gender pay gap represents one of today’s greatest manifestations of social injustice.”

Evidence, according to the report, shows that even before women reach motherhood, there is already a pay gap. This therefore suggests a need to combat stereotypes and discrimination at the point of entry into the labour market

Jonathan:

Stop foaming from the mouth . The reason was clearly stated up there .

Cry cry baby

In what appears to be part of political intrigues ahead of the 2019 general election, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) saturday declined to broadcast the 13th anniversary of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola live despite receiving millions of naira, THISDAY has learnt.

In a swift reaction, however, NTA Executive Director of News, Mr. Muhammad Labbo denied political sabotage, though claimed that NTA could not broadcast the confirmed that the Atiku media paid for live broadcast the programme live due to what he ascribed to technical hitches.

THISDAY checks revealed that NTA was duly paid and the payment was acknowledged and confirmed for the live broadcast of the programme between 4pm to 6pm on Saturday.

The anniversary, also known as Founder’s Day, is a day set aside to celebrate the founder of the university and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

The source revealed that the NTA sent its Outside Broadcast (OB) deployed from Jos and they were on ground before the programme started, thinking they were about to go live.

He said, “When I entered into the hall, about half way or thereabout, we started receiving calls from all over the country, people who knew that we normally run live coverage of it said they could not watch it. They did not start the live coverage at all.”

He said he tried “to contact NTA headquarters in Abuja, but its management cannot give any tangible reason for not broadcasting the programme live. I contacted their people on ground, the production people at their OB van and they look sorrowful.

“It was clear that there are some conspiracy at work from NTA headquarters in Abuja, working the script of the federal government and a president Muhammadu Buhari

“If not for the last minute decision to accommodate Sliverbird Television as the second network for live coverage, the 13 edition of the programme would have been like lighting a candle and covering it, nobody would have known about it.”

However, the source did not disclose the exact amount paid for the 2 hours live coverage. According to a staff of NTA, two-hour life broadcast often costs for N7 million. There is no one-hour live broadcast. We only have two-hour live broadcast, which costs N7 million.

When contacted, Atiku’s media adviser, Mr. Paul Ibe confirmed that indeed there was a contract between NTA and Atiku media office.

“We have received a call from across the country and even outside the country from concerned people who were expecting to be availed the opportunity to follow the proceedings of the programme on NTA. We are accessing the situation to determine the next line of action.”

In his response, Labbo explained the technical problem that prevented NTA from broadcasting the programme live, which according to him, had to do with the international satellite transmission.

He said, “When they called me and drew my attention to it, I made contact with the operational head, he told me that they were having serious technical challenge in Yola. They gave me the technical explanation, it has to do with our international satellite transmission.

“When I got the information, I called Paul Ibe back because he was the one that called me and made that complaint. I explained to him that they were recording it. Then they will be able to make it after they finish recording or at any time when they resolve the technical issue.

“The programme was transmitted, although not live. But it was transmitted in full when our technical people resolved the matter. I want to make an appeal. NTA is a public broadcaster. NTA is for everybody. NTA should not be dragged into politics.”

footysport22:


That shows you are illiterate.

Educate yourself with the picture below. Have a wonderful day.

footysport22:




Corrected!

But sir, can you define illiterate?


I'm not an American. Don't expect me to speak other country language perfectly.

I speak Yoruba fluently.

Please don't forget to define illiterate. GOODBYE

footysport22:
The battle for Nigeria must be won. Says Atiku

WARNING:: Ipob youth should not quote me. Pls. I don't argue with illetrates. Yes, I said illetrates. I'm not talking about sensible Igbo men and women. Igbos are not "iPob". ipob consist of the illetrates Igbos. THANKS

hasyak:
*Why you should not waste time discussing national issues with some certain Nigerians*

1. They are the ones that said Buhari died in Aso rock, and later in UK. Then they said the Buhari that returned to Nigeria is a clone (duplicate) and recently they said it is Buhari body double. Do you still take cognizance of what comes out of these peoples mouth?

2. They were the ones who said 8 years was not enough for OBJ, and 6 not enough for GEJ, etc. Now, they don't want 8 years of Buhari because of personal hatred

3. When you remind them of how corruption in last government has ruined the nation....they ask you to stop talking about the past

4. When you say Buhari is a man of integrity and he his fighting corruption, they say his son has a power bike

5. When Evans the kidnapper say something against Buhari, he becomes an hero. When you say their heroes and spokespersons lack integrity (IBB, OBJ, Fayose, FFK, Saraki, GEJ, etc), they will say "...look at the message not the messenger..."

6. They are not interested in any development in Nigeria, if it means ascribing any success to PMB.

7. Every good news of the nation brings them sadness, and they remain quiet until another bad news crops up

8. If you tell them Buhari is building over 300 roads all over Nigeria, they say it is because of 2019

9. Tell them Buhari is developing the rail system all over Nigeria, they say it is not his initiative, that Obasanjo and GEJ had plans to do it

10. Inform them about the agricultural revolution, how Nigeria now produces its local food and has become a foremost world exporter of food, they say it is Obasanjo that started Operation Feed the Nation in the 1970s

11. When you say Buhari is working to completing abandoned projects, over 8000 nationwide (Mambila hydro power, Ajaokuta Steel Plant etc), they say it is because he has no program of his own

12. Refute their allegations that Buhari is tribalistic with how his ministerial cabinets now (and as military head of state) had more Christians than Muslims, and how powerful ministries were being run by southerners, they hold their breath and in the next statement still repeat the same allegation

13. They say Buhari is vindictive, but no state or region has been denied their share of development projects irrespective of whether they support PMB government or not (compared with Obasanjo that withheld Lagos State allocation for many years and Jonathan that cut Osun State allocation for 4 years to punish Aregbesola for making sure Jonathan lost the 2011 election in Osun State even though he won in other Yoruba states). He has taken N13b water project to Otuoke in GEJs village Bayelsa, N22b road to Atiku's village in Adamawa, reconstruction of Lagos Abeokuta expressway to OBJ's Ogun State, the 2nd Niger Bridge, etc to the east, the massive investment and redevelopment of the Niger-Delta, etc are part of the proof of PMBs fairness to all

14. When the clampdown on corruption started, they said only southerners are being harassed, when Dasuki etc were arrested they say it is only PDP; when Saraki was taken to court they say it is because he is in opposition; when former governors and APC members were jailed (Dariye and Nyame ), they say it was PDP that started the probe. So, you see that discussing with them is a waste of time

15. When EFCC is investigating the massive investments and dollars accounts of Mrs Patience Jonathan, Alison Maduekwe, etc, they say it is political harassment and you should bring proof of corruption. But when they bring scandalously stupid allegations like Buhari has bought the national stadium, etc and you ask for proof, they say you are a fanatic

16. Tell them how the threats of IPOB, Niger Delta militants, etc were curtailed, they say it is a clampdown on Igbos and southerners; remind them of how the menace of El Zakzaki and his Shiites group of the north have been curbed, they say it is coercion

17. Remind them how the dreaded Boko Haram has been chased away from the northeast states that they used to control in the north and how normalcy is returning to those parts of the country, they will still refer to the occasional suicide bombings as proof that nothing is achieved

18. Tell them how it has been impossible for even USA etc to totally stop suicide bombings, they retort "...Are you now comparing Nigeria with USA" (Of course not, USA does not have a particular group of people that does not want to see anything good in northern Nigerians as citizens)

19. Tell them how herdsmen killings preceded PMB, and how many non-Fulani herdsmen have been arrested by the army for killings, including a personal aide to Governor Ortom, and how since such arrests, the killings have subsided, they still in the next statement refer to Buhari as promoting herdsmen killers

20. Tell them about the resuscitation of the Mambila Power Project, the Ajaokuta Steel Project, etc, they say it is a lie

21. Show them videos and pictures of ongoing development nationwide, they say its photo and video shop

22. Tell them how Buhari stopped the billion-dollar fertiliser scam and how in its place 11 local fertiliser companies were revived resulting in Nigeria producing for its local needs, they say "...how does that translate to food for the common man?..."

23. When Buhari agreed to pay N88billion compensation to Biafrans victims, granted autonomy to state judiciary, supports local government autonomy, recognised MKO and June 12, they say it is politics. (And like the daughter of our hero of democracy said, "...if Buhari does not play politics, should he play chemistry?..."

24. To them, the National Assembly members used to be all APC rogues, but now without doing any good thing but because they now oppose PMB, they have become their heroes, from the clown Dino, to the Michael Jackson of Osun, the stupendously corrupt and wealthy Saraki, Mark, Dogara, etc

25. Buhari has refused like previous governments to bribe legislators to do their duties, and since their dirty strategies is no longer working, they have become a stumbling block to progress. The wailers will say if it was OBJ, he would have dealt with them but if Buhari had used any other means, they will say he is undemocratic

26. When you show some of them the unparalleled efforts of this government in development compared to all the past governments, then you will hear "...Well, he has tried but I still don't like him, he is too old, he is slow, he is unintelligent, he is not outspoken etc..."

*These are the reasons why nothing tangible will be achieved if you engage them in any developmental discussion*, because of their innate hatred of anybody from northern Nigeria.

Avoid discussion of national issues with them. Instead, discuss things like Big Brother Nigeria, Russia World Cup, Dangote's daughter's wedding, and Papa Ajasco, etc with them

#CopiedfromReturn2GreatnessGroup
#UpdatedbyFabiyiRotimi08184741410

Mogidi:
.

sarrki:
Any Pdp supporters hates Lai Mohammed

He’s a nightmare to there propaganda and lies

cdqyehyeh:

i knew u have never for once bin to lagos, if nt u wont type this thrash. roads, hospitals, government schools, rail line, feries, tax, omonile. pls visit lagos and spot the difference btween lagos nd ur state.

seanfer:



Hahaha.... So in your dreams now Enugu is more developed than Lagos?

seanfer:
Dear Poster Akwa-Ibom. Cross-river, Ebonyi, Enugu, Delta, Bayelsa are all Under PDP since 1999... Can you tell the whole world what they have achieved better than Lagos?

obonujoker:


Can you compare Lagos with it's mates in Africa or around the world??

According to the source, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, singlehandedly gave the money to Farouk Adamu. He said Adamu collected the cash in Abuja on behalf of Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Details have emerged of how the Kaduna Central Senatorial District ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was sold for $2million to Uba Sani, Political Adviser to Nasir el-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State.

A source privy to the deal spoke exclusively to SaharaReporters in Abuja on Friday.

According to the source, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, singlehandedly gave the money to Farouk Adamu. He said Adamu collected the cash in Abuja on behalf of Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He revealed that the sum of N50million was offered to the Assistant Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, by Uba Sani, which he turned down. The source also noted that Nabena had issued several press statements that Shehu Sani remained the only candidate cleared for the zone, and Nabena had insisted he would only do what the National Working Committee (NWC) asked him to do, as he had no power to upturn their decision.

Hadiza, however, threatened to do everything possible to stop Shehu Sani from getting the automatic ticket, whether the NWC liked it or not.

SaharaReporters gathered that after the failure of a series of attempts by the proxies to get Nabena's cooperation, Hadiza decided to channel it through Farouk, who collected the cash.

The source also narrated how the Governor El-Rufai slept in the National Chairman's office, and threatened to pitch tent with Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), if Shehu Sani's name was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the APC candidate for Kaduna Central Senatorial District.

Farouk, who headed a presidential committee on the APC primaries, collected the money without the knowledge of other members. Members of the committee include Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu; Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

"He ignored the report of the committee and took charge of making phone calls to senators to inform them who made the list and who did not. Why is it that those who got the tickets have not come out to defend Oshiomhole against the myriad of allegations of bribery levelled against him?" the source queried.

Investigations revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to Sani Mustapha, the senator representing Niger South Senatorial District, to return to the party.

Mustapha had announced his resignation from the party on October 22, 2018, stating that his decision to leave the party was due to the injustice done to him by the substitution of his name with that of Bima Mohammed, who was not cleared by the panel.

According to information obtained by SaharaReporters, the president has asked him to go to court to challenge the injustice, and promised that he would get his (president's) support.

"As I am talking to you now, Senator Sani Mustapha has returned to APC and gone to court to challenge the manipulation of the results of the primaries," the source revealed.

The backlash that followed the bribery allegations levelled against Oshiomhole compelled his Chief Press Secretary, Simon Ebegbulem, to issue a statement on Thursday, in which Oshiomhole threatened to take legal action against further allegations.

However, Nabena has asked Ebegbulem to stop the media propaganda and face the reality on ground, as it had affected the party negatively.

He stated this while reacting to a statement on the Whatsapp group platform of APC Press Corps.

"Simon, please stop all this media propaganda and face the reality on ground; the damages affecting the party," he wrote.

Some members of the National Working Committee are said to be pleased with the fact that the amount allegedly paid by the candidates to Oshiomhole is in public domain. A member, who preferred not to be named, said many of the committee members were oblivious of those deals, as they were sidelined from the beginning of the entire process.

1. Buhari will win next year, either by crook or hook. That INEC guy can never announce a result in which Buhari lost, heavens will fall before that happens.. but I believe that even if the election is free and fair, Buhari will win because simply put, majority of Nigerians are very sentimental, indecisive and not objective at all

2. Twenty years from now, Tinubu will still be selecting Lagos state governor and Lagos state will continue to be in his pockets. Wonderful projects will be done in Lagos but the population of people in Lagos will forever dwarf whatever development that comes.. People never even come Lagos, in ten years time..

3. Nigeria and Nigerians (despite earning a fortune in oil) will forever be poor. In ten years time, our population will be more 250 million people with over 200 million living in extreme poverty

4. Unemployement will forever be a problem in Nigeria. In ten years time, the unemployment rate will have quadrupled; the available spaces will not even be enough for people with long legs anymore.. number of employable populace will increase but no Jobs, albeit increase in crime.

5. The Economy will be a joke. The little we get will be used to service the old and new political heavy weights.

6. Politics will be the only source of good living, so elections will turn to a bloody affair. Youths will get more involved and given our antecedence, more ridiculous things will be happening then

7. The poverty in the Northern part of the country will be on another level. People might start tearing up politicians literally.. The terrorists will have more recruits and the troubled status of the North will keep increasing

8. Churches will be doing more ridiculous things than they're doing now. Pastors will be disappearing with Church fortunes.

9. The disunity, hate and frustration in the mind of individual Nigerians will be on another level. Any act of provocation will be met with lethal force. You may just mistakenly match someone, the person will pull a knife and stab you

10. The world will leave Nigeria and like countries behind

greyham:


Don't tell me you believe this crap too