Business
Youth Unemployment Hits 40M-NECA
The Director-General of the
Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Mr Olusegun Oshinowo, said that over 40 million Nigerian youths remained unemployed, in spite of the Federal Government’s efforts at reducing unemployment.
Oshinowo made the announcement on Wednesday, in an interview with newsmen shortly after inspecting facilities at Ruff and Rumbles Wares in Lagos.
Ruff and Rumbles are into children’s fashion.
The company also engages in the training of youths in fashion making.
He said that the idea of Nigerian youths seeking white collar jobs would never take them to anywhere.
The director-general said that NECA collaborated with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), to ensure that unemployment was reduced in Nigeria by training youths on dress making.
“NECA and ITF are partnering with Ruff and Rumbles Clothes to see how we can use their company train interested youths that have passion for fashion so that they can have a more meaningful life to themselves after the training,’’ he said.
The association boss said that this would entail getting unemployed Nigerians to acquire technical and vocational skills with the purpose of seeking self- employment.
He said the aim of the training was to take unemployed youths out of the streets by training them on skills of their choice.
“We will make the training open to the public so that the process will be fair. The training will also be free and the trainees will also be given some stipend.
“What NECA and ITF are doing presently is to have a workable mode of reducing the unemployment in the country.
“We will expand the scope of our programme by taking Nigerian youths that are willing to be trained out of the unemployment market.
“We feel this is the way we must recruit so that we can train more Nigerians to be useful in the society.’’
Oshinowo said that NECA needed to generate more awareness to make Nigerians show more appreciation to what the association was doing.
“This will enable the government to provide more funds to solve unemployment in the country.’’
The ITF Director-General, Dr Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, disclosed that President Goodluck Jonathan had mandated the body to create three million jobs every year.
He described the partnership with NECA as a beautiful one that would make the ITF to achieve its mandate.
“Lots of Nigerians need to be impacted and this Ruff and Rumbles Clothes environment is a better platform to train the youths on skills acquisition,’’ Chukkas-Onaeko said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ruff and Rumbles Clothing, Mrs Adenike Ogunlesi,said that the project was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility in reducing the level of unemployment in the country.
Ogunlesi said she was delighted to work with NECA and ITF in using the company as a platform for training jobless youths to be self-employed.
MoniePoint Inc. a digital financial firm in Nigeria, has said it is empowering community pharmacists across the country with innovative payment solutions to improve access to drugs.
The financial firm said it had also provided loans for pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to drive healthcare delivery in the country.
MoniePoint in a release titled, “Inside Nigeria’s community pharmacies: How Moniepoint drives healthcare access with payments and funding”, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing digital payment solutions to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
The release examined how community pharmacies play a crucial role as vital access points for medical care in Nigeria, especially in areas with limited hospital or clinic access.
According to the release, the ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Igwekwam, highlighted the critical role played by community pharmacies in Nigeria’s healthcare system over the years.
Igwekwam, however, expressed concerns over the challenges confronting the nation’s pharmaceutical industry which he said was hindering access to affordable medicines.
The pharmacist listed poor infrastructural systems, power, transportation, regulatory bottlenecks, importation dependency, and limited research opportunities as major challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector.
He also stressed the need for robust collaborative efforts with institutions like Moniepoint to strengthen the sector.
“As Nigeria continues to grow, improving local pharma manufacturing to meet the demands of this growth presents a key opportunity for us all.
“There is also the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which is expected to boost our industry, especially when we start producing our drugs locally, which will provide the much needed foreign exchange from exports.
“We are also seeing advancements in digital health and technology which would hopefully deepen the practice of e-prescription in Nigeria”, the ACPN boss said.
Corlins Walter
In order to enhance customer service and streamline operations, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has called on stakeholders in the insurance industry to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The President of the institute, Yetunde Ilori, made this call at the 2024 Office Representatives Committee (ORC) Workshop, organised by the institute, with the theme “AI and the Future of the Insurance Industry”, in Lagos.
Ilori at the event, emphasised the importance of AI adoption, noting that it was not a threat to jobs but rather a tool to improve efficiency across the insurance sector.
“It is not about AI taking over our jobs, but about us using AI to simplify processes and give maximum satisfaction to all the customers we serve whether as underwriters, brokers, loss adjusters, or in educating our members”, she said.
The workshop, which brought players in the insurance sector together, aimed to address how AI could be leveraged to transform business processes and improve customer interactions.
The Chairman of the ORC, Monica Nwachukwu, underscored the role of AI in modernising the industry, adding, “AI can automate customer and claims processes, allowing insurers to provide faster and more efficient services to their customers”.
She explained how AI could help extract data from legacy systems, enhancing decision-making processes.
“By integrating AI with APIs, insurers can feed valuable data into AI solutions to improve operations and customer service”, she added.
In his address, the Managing Partner of A4S and Training Heights, Orlando Odejide, stressed the need for companies to align their strategies with future technologies like AI, especially as they prepare for 2025.
“Any organisation that wants to grow into the future must have its strategic plan in place. If your strategy for 2025 is not ready, it should be done by October”, he advised.
He encouraged participants to think critically about how AI could be integrated into their business models to ensure they remain competitive.
“The idea is for you to use this workshop as a platform to think about your organization and how AI can help streamline your processes and improve growth”, Odejide noted.
In order to gain global respect and recognition, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has reaffirmed its determination to pursue its goal in ensuring that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global space economy.
In a statement by the Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, NASRDA revealed that the Director-General of the agency, Matthew Adepoju, emphasised this during recent engagements at the 79th United Nations General Assembly and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Global Alliance Business Association international conference in Michigan, United States.
The statement noted that Adepoju outlined a forward-thinking agenda, stressing the importance of Nigeria’s space programme as a leader in research, exploration, and technological innovation.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
“We must foster collaborations with global space agencies to enhance our satellite capabilities and technological infrastructure”, he stated.
The NASRDA boss said the agency is focusing on enhancing satellite capabilities, expanding international collaborations, and leveraging space science for national development.
He said NASRDA will have no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence, ensuring the agency secures the necessary resources and recognition to propel it forward.
“The relationships we build today will pave the way for tomorrow’s advancements in space science.
“Innovation and progress thrive in an environment built on collaboration and inclusivity”, he stated.
He emphasised that with the support of the government, international partners, and a dedicated team, NASRDA is poised to make significant strides in the evolving global space landscape.
“We are on the brink of a new era for Nigeria’s space agency. Together, we will ensure our nation stands out in the global space economy”, he said.
Corlins Walter