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The federal government has said that it would insist that all memoranda submitted to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on procurement contracts by Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) have some local employment content implications.
Vice President Namadi Sambo made this known in Abuja while declaring open a two-day stakeholders’ workshop organised by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) on labour-based approach to government operations.
The Vice President who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Mr. Anthony Ozodinobi, also declared that, henceforth, government’s public works programme in all the states and the FCT would translate employment opportunities.
According to him, “This programme will involve the engagement of private sector contractors to implement simple labour-intensive public works in areas such as the renovation and maintenance of buildings, such as schools, hospital, and primary healthcare centres”.
He added that the program would also cut across road rehabilitation and maintenance works, urban sanitation and solid waste disposal, erosion control and community works projects.
“Is imperative to adopt the method in the development of infrastructure as a means of investing in income and employment generating activities to guarantee security of life and property.
The VP also called on both the state and local governments to adopt at least 50 per cent labour-based
approached in the construction of rural roads and other infrastructure as a means of reducing unemployment and poverty in their respective areas.
He said statistics showed that over 70 per cent of roads in the country were amenable to construction using the method
NDE Director General, Malam Abubakar Mohammed, had earlier said the strategy of employment creation toward achieving reduction in poverty required a multi-sectoral approach and involvement of a wide range of stakeholders.
“This is why the NDE considers it important to create this forum for major stakeholders, policy makers and experts in infrastructure provision to gather, exchange ideas and experiences and agree on the appropriateness of labour-based technology,” he said.
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