The Nigerian Government has approved the extension of the Special Public Works (SPW) programme after the completion of the first phase of the initiative.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, said this at the opening of a three-day training/meeting of zonal directors and state coordinators of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
The SPW programme was created by the government to create employment for 774,000 people, comprising 1,000 from each of the country’s 774 local government areas.
Keyamo said President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Directorate to develop a blueprint for the second phase of the programme.
“The Federal Government has expressed its desire to extend the programme. Therefore, we need to go back to Mr. President with a clear template on what we did and what we need to do to improve,” he said.
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He said, “We really do not know when the next programme will commence and do not also know the format it will take. This meeting will formulate all of that and then submit our report to Mr. President who will decide the next line of action.
“But what is sure is that the programme will continue. This workshop is to take stock of the challenges that we confronted in the implementation process of the 774,000 SPW and fine-tune the processes going forward.”
Keyamo explained that the involvement of Christian and Islamic organisations, non-governmental organisations, market and professional groups was aimed at safeguarding the credibility of the initiative and ensure it reaches the real vulnerable groups in the society.
He said, “The vulnerable people are found in churches, mosques, markets, civil society, and labour groups were part of the committee that chose the beneficiaries.”
“This programme is different from loan schemes that give money to build cottage industries. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) does that.”
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