By Bukola Adama
Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has said the state has the lowest unemployment rate in the country just as he said his administration will create more job opportunities.
The governor stated this while receiving the National Coordinator of N-Power and the Senior Special Assistant on Job creation to the President Buhari, Mr Afolabi Imoukhede on Tuesday at the Government House, Ilorin.
He reiterated his commitment to expand employment opportunities for youths with a view to further reducing unemployed rates in the state.
He also spoke of the present administration’s readiness to continue to maintain the feat in order to reduce threat to security in the state.
According to the governor,”If youths are not gainfully engaged, they tend to portend threat to security”.
The governor added that several interventions and programmes aimed at creating job opportunities and empowering the youths have been put in place.
He told the team that his government established International Vocational Training and Entrepreneurs College(IVTEC) , acquired 2,500 hectares of land for youths farming among others as part of programmes to reduce unemployed rate.
The programme according to the governor was intended to discourage youths from searching for white collar job.
He further promised to partner the Federal Government on any programme designed to empower youths to make them self – reliant.
While commending Buhari-led government for redeeming its electioneering campaign promises through job creation, the governor promised to continue to partner the Federal Government to deepen employment opportunities for youths.
Said he:”This programme is a good one and requires to be articulated and monitored to ensure its huge success”.
The National Coordinator and the Senior Special Assistant on job creation to the President, Mr Afolabi Imoukhede had in his remarks told the governor that he was in the state to monitor the activity of N-Power.
He explained that the programme was primarily initiated to create job , create wealth, empower youths among others by the Buhari-led government.
Imoukhede disclosed that over a million people applied last year when the programme started.
He explained that after cross examination the number of applicants were reduced to 751,000.
He added that out of the 751,000 applicants, 352, 000 applicants were graduates while 301,000 applicants were non graduates.
Imoukhede further told the governor that 15,000 Kwarans registered last year but 5,559 qualified, explaining that 352 of the 5,559 qualified Kwarans were disqualified for non appearance for verification and other offences.
He added that 3,000 of the 5,559 Kwarans were deployed to schools among other places to render services.
