Muhammadu Dingyadi, the Minister of Labour and Employment, clarified that his mandate does not include ensuring job creation for Nigerians.
He emphasized that his ministry’s primary responsibility is to create a conducive environment for employment, rather than directly providing jobs.
Speaking at a conference in Abuja, Dingyadi acknowledged the significant youth population in Nigeria but reiterated that it is not their role to guarantee employment opportunities for individuals.
He said, “You will agree with me that the mandate of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is never to give employment to people.
“However, it is at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly as it relates to job creation, sustained and inclusive investment, as well as the promotion of enhanced productivity for improved service delivery.
“As you are aware, the ministry is not there to provide employment, because the former minister of youths and sports (Sunday Dare), before he left, was asking me to give him jobs. I said we only create the environment for jobs. We don’t give jobs.
“Mr President is poised and committed to providing the requisite leadership and driving initiatives geared towards Nigeria’s economic recovery and transformation.
“This is evident in the recent successful negotiation of a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers, and the deliberate efforts towards sustainable strategic investments in human capital, infrastructure, innovation and institutional reforms.”