The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, announced on Tuesday, that the Federal Government had begun the shortlisting of candidates for 500,000 jobs it had promised would be made available for suitably qualified Nigerians.
The minister, who disclosed this in a meeting with representatives of the National Council for Women’s Societies (NWCS), said that about 1.2 million applications had been received from across the country, and that the applications were being processed and placed into various categories, including positions in agricultural support, teaching, and technical operations.
Mr. Mohammed confirmed that plans were in place to begin the payment of the ₦5,000 conditional cash transfer which the government had also promised, before the end of September.
The Federal Government says it aims to tackle Nigeria’s chronic youth unemployment by providing jobs which enable young people to earn income for themselves while gaining hands-on experience and learning vital occupational skills.