…Rejects quality of employment
Bimbola Oyesola; Magnus Eze, Abuja
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) yesterday, said jobs created by the Federal Government in its attempt to bridge the unemployment gap in the country are of poor quality.
The Director General of ILO, Guy Ryder, in his presentation, “Future of the World of Work”, at the second day of the 40th anniversary celebration of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja, said the jobs are low degree and restricted opportunity for collective representation.
The ILO boss who was represented by the Deputy Director General, Cynthia Olorunjuwon, wondered why it was difficult for government to provide opportunity for the younger generation.
“I had told the Finance Minister that government is not doing Nigerian youths any favour by creating jobs,” she said.
According to ILO, more than 50 per cent of young people in developing countries view their future with high degree of hopelessness.
“Unlike our generation, when parents saw their children with higher and brighter opportunities and positions than theirs. Rather, the reverse is the case now. The future generations are bowing more and more into poverty,” she stated.
She lamented that women are more at the receiving end in the issue of inequality in the world of works, stressing that there is pervasive inequality pertaining to gender.
She, however, said there is need for Nigeria as a country to prepare for the future of work, which will place more emphasis on greener economy, adding that new jobs will be opening in the new economy.
For his part, the Director General of Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), Olusegun Oshinowo, in his presentation charged NLC to take the lead at ensuring government, from local to the national levels, delivered on good governance to the people.
Oshinowo noted that though presently Nigeria may not be able to match the world in terms of technology and innovation, with good governance, policy and restructuring, Nigeria would be able to move its economy ahead.