Stable Power Necessary For Job Creation – Don

The Nigerian Institute of
Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan, has called  for sustainable power supply to boost job creation in the country.
Dr  Foluso Adeyinka of  NISER’s   Economic Policy Research Department   said this in Ibadan at  the institute’s  seminar series.
Adeyinka was speaking on the topic: “Job Creation in Nigeria:  Short and Long Term Options.’’
She said  government must give the power sector a boost if  it was  to tackle unemployment.
“There cannot be a smooth transformation from an agrarian economy to an industrial one that will make more jobs available without reliable and affordable power,” she said.
To create job opportunities, she said  short term options included  the need for a comprehensive audit of job creation agencies and attitudinal re-orientation of job applicants.
According to him, “the long term options are that secondary school curriculum should be refocused to reflect activities of skill development and entrepreneurship.
“Also, there should be establishment of creativity centres, strengthening linkage between training institutes and industry. There is need for increased collaboration between government and the private sector and a scale-up in funds for job creation activities,” she said.
Dr Adeyinka explained that unemployment and underemployment lie  at the core of poverty and labour is about the only asset that the poor has.
“The creation of employment opportunities therefore becomes essential for achieving poverty reduction and sustainable economic and social development,’’ she added.
Earlier, NISER Director-General, Prof. Olufemi Taiwo, had  said the seminar was the third in the series for 2014, and  that the topic was topical as unemployment had been on the increase in the country.