FG to create 21m jobs from infrastructure investment by 2025

The Federal Government is planning to generate 21 million full-time jobs through massive investment in social infrastructure and services.

Minister of State, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, disclosed this while speaking at the workshop on Harmonisation and Finalisation of Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the Implementation of the Second National Programme of Action (NPoA), in Abuja, yesterday.

Agba said the decision to generate the 21 million jobs was one of the outcomes of the current National Development Plan (2021-2025), which seeks to lift 35 million people out of poverty by 2025.

He said this would set the stage for achieving the current administration’s commitment to lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

The minister further explained that the development plan would also ensure that Nigeria unlocks its potential in all sectors of the economy.

He said: “Specifically, the plan aims to generate 21 million full-time jobs and lift 35 million people out of poverty by 2025, thus, setting the stage for achieving the current administration’s commitment to lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

“It also seeks to, among others, invest massively in social infrastructure and services to alleviate poverty, and enhance capacities to strengthen security and ensure good governance.”

Agba further said the ministry, in line with its mandate and presidential approval, was in the process of finalising the development of the Nigeria Agenda 2050, which is the country’s Perspective Development Plan to replace the Nigeria Vision 20:2020.

“I, therefore, urge other stakeholders, Development Partners and MDAS to mainstream and harmonise their sectoral Plans and country strategies in line with the priorities of government as embedded in the plan to ensure full implementation,” the minister said.

In her remarks, Princess Gloria Akobundu, CEO, Africa Union Development Agency (AUDA)’s Peer Review Mechanism (Nigeria), said Nigeria is currently drafting its National Programme of Action, NPoA.

She stressed that the primary objective of the programme was to guide and mobilise Nigeria’s efforts in implementing needed changes to improve the state of governance and accelerate the country’s economic development.