The African Centre for Global Entrepreneurial Leadership (ACGEL) has said it is partnering with the National Directorate of Employment NDE to create 60,000 jobs for Nigerians as part of an intervention plan designed to cushion the effect of job losses occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside the NDE, other partners are Keystone Bank, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), ministries, SDG, among others to deliver the jobs. Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Founder and Board Chairman of AGGEL, Pastor Greatness Oladapo, said the move by the organisation was informed by the alarming rate of job losses triggered by the pandemic.
He said the decision of the organisation to create jobs for Nigerians was anchored on the outlook of employment situation in Africa in general and Nigeria in particular. He said research figures showed that 19 million Africans would be unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic while 20 million Nigerias are presently unemployed which will bring the figure to 39million. Oladapo, who is also the presiding pastor of the Lost Hope Regainer International Ministry said the jobs would be generated through an online registration platform where the details of the registration and voting process could be ascertained. To assure participants of the credibility of process, he said the organisation would write the Economic and Financial Crimes Commision (EFCC) to monitor the project. His words, “This generation has a problem of unemployment today. We need to do something about it. The project seeks to involve all Nigerian’s to generate 60,000 jobs.
Expatiating further, he said, “Our first target is to receive entries (only one entry per applicant) in applications from intending and existing job creators in the following clustered areas notably fashion, agriculture, technology, housing, energy, education, motion pictures, sports within 60 days which is free online. “People with keen mindset and ideas to create jobs for themselves known as entrepreneurs and for others other than themselves known as business owners should please apply”.
Pastor Oladapo explained that part of the plan, includes receiving votes within 60 days from good spirited Nigerians for job creation on behalf of Job creators (a vote cost N50) through online voting and offline voting using deposits/bank transfer codes and telcos short codes where applicable.
“This runs simultaneously and side by side with the registration entries of job creators, even as job creators compete online for an entrance and stand at the job creation studio and the Leadership Entrepreneurial Game Show (LEGS) respectively. Each vote counts for each contestant and contestants are enabled to view the progress of their votes on their respective unique profile page.
Responding to questions as to what they want from Nigerians, he said, “We expect Nigerians to vote enmass for job creation, help IGERIAN job creators to register of LEGS, assist job creators in filling out forms, bring gifted skills for job creation , bring products and services for job creators and bring tools of work for job creation among others.
