From: Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
The Federal Government has said it was targeting no fewer than 15 million jobs for unemployed youths by 2020.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (Industrialisation), Sani Yakubu, during the 9th Meeting of the National Council on Industry Trade and Investment held in Sokoto.
Yakubu said this will be achieved through the Economic and Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) launched in April 2017, by the present administration.
He explained that ERGP is a home grown four-year medium term development plants aimed at driving economic recovery and ensuring sustained, inclusive growth as well as building a globally competitive and diversified Nigerian economy.
“With the ERGP, Government is well positioned to work with all state nd non-state actors in addressing the challenges of improving productivity in the principal areas of Trade, Industry and Investment.
The ERGP has sixty strategies that will collectively bring about the overall objective of economic growth. Close to half of these strategies achieved full implementation on this core sector and across cutting subsectors.
“It is in this sector that the nation is looking to create a lot of jobs opportunities through the ERGP that targets 15 million jobs by 2020 needed by the vast number of our youthful population.”
The Presidential Aide also noted that the ERGP estimates an annual growth of 8.5% in manufacturing, rising from a negative growth of -5.8% in 2016 to 10.6% in 2020.
In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Edet Sunday Akpan said the ministry remains a bedrock for diversification of economy as the basis for sustainable economic recovery and growth.
Akpan explained that due to sustainable reforms being driven by the present administration, the national economy has moved out of recession with a minimum of 0.55% growth rate and still improving.
The Summit with the theme: Implementing Economy Recovery and Growth Plan through Industry, Trade and Investment”, organised by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.