NECA Has It That Over 40m Nigerian Youths Are Still Unemployed

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

Speaking with newsmen shortly after inspecting facilities at Ruff’n and Tumbles Clothings in Lagos, Oshinowo said the idea of Nigerian youths seeking white collar jobs would never take them anywhere. Ruff’n Tumbles is into children’s fashion.

The company also engages in the training of youths in fashion making. According to the DG, 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 Clothing to see how we can use their company to train interested youths that have passion for fashion so that they can have a more meaningful life to themselves after the training,” he said.

“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,” he added.

Also speaking, 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 therefore described the partnership with NECA as a beautiful one that would help the ITF to achieve its mandate.

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