The Federal Government plans to commence online registration of unemployed Nigerians from Wednesday, April 5, 2017. This is aimed at creating jobs and maintaining a data bank on vacancies in the country.

According to Edmund Onwuliri, Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), “the online portal which goes live on Wednesday, April 5, 2017, is designed to capture the relevant details of any unemployed person. It will equally serve as a job exchange portal that will link job seekers and employers.”

In regards to the way the platform will work, “there will be a practical demonstration of the workings of the portal at the NDE stand at the ongoing 28th edition of the Enugu International Trade on Thursday,” he added. Onwuliri gave the portal address as www.jobsforall.ng.  

Let’s recall that the NBS last month, puts the number of unemployed Nigerians at 11.19 million. Nigeria entered its first recession in 25 years in Q2 of 2016, driven by the sharp drop in crude prices which hit public finances and battered the naira currency. This had a significant impact on employment in the country. Therefore an initiative that will eradicate the complicated process of recruitment by employers of skilled labour in the private and public sector, is a welcome development.

Anita Fatunji