Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige says President Muhammadu Buhari’s reforms in infrastructure have yielded no fewer than one million jobs.
Ngige said this in his Democracy Day message to Nigerians issued by his media aide, Emma Nzomiwu on Thursday in Enugu.
The minister said that such successes recorded in job creation as a result of infrastructural development were fallout of the Executive Order 5 which the president signed in 2018.
He said that the order was meant to improve local content in public procurement with science, technology and engineering components to create jobs for millions of unemployed Nigerians.
He expressed satisfaction that Nigerians had begun to see the results of some of the policies of the Federal Government.
Ngige urged Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the 2020 Democracy Day to reflect on ways to create greater bond of unity and contribute in the growth of the country.
He appealed to Nigerians to see the 2020 celebration as a period to look at the journey so far, identify successes and shortcomings and chart the way forward.
The minister congratulated Buhari and all Nigerians for their efforts toward the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria after 21 years of experiment.
“It is a thing of joy for me that democracy continues to thrive in Nigeria in spite of all odds, including the socio-economic and political challenges we face as a country.
“However, we should appreciate the fact that democracy which has been globally adjudged the best system of government is not an end in itself.
“It is a means to get to our destination, vis-a-vis national development,” he said.
The minister said that it was gratifying to know that the country was not looking back after 21 years of democratic experience.
He applauded Buhari for the successes recorded so far, particularly the enhancement of living standards of Nigerian workers through the increase in the Nation Minimum Wage.
Ngige said that the development of critical infrastructure, such as electricity, rail, roads and air transportation were some of the sectors the Federal Government had recorded tremendous successes.
He said that government had also made huge investments in agriculture, resulting in the country becoming self-sufficient in rice, sorghum, millet, maize and cotton production among others.
“We now produce what we eat as the government introduced import restrictions in order to encourage local industries.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on its part is providing local manufacturers with loans and other incentives to encourage them,” he said.
Ngige praised the commitment of the president to the crusade against corruption which he said had earned him plaudits from the African Union (AU) and other members of the international community. (NAN)
