Governor Sule’s policy thrust yielding dividends as Nasarawa records lowest unemployment rate

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Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State

By Ali Abare

The people of Nasarawa State are certainly and already witnessing the positive impact of the core policy thrust of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration, as lucidly captured in the Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy (NEDS), the road map for the state to become one of Nigeria’s top three most competitive states for sustained growth, increased economic opportunities and prosperity, social inclusion, and improved quality of life.

Governor Sule’s unparalleled passion and drive towards key areas of technical education, skills and vocational education, security, investment, mining and agriculture to mention but a few, are already beginning to bear fruits, with recently Nasarawa State recording the lowest employment rate in the country, amongst other feats.

According to the latest report of the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS), the unemployment rate in Nigeria stood at 5.4 per cent in 2023, with Nasarawa State recording the lowest rate at 0.5 per cent.

The NBS in its Nigeria Labour Force Survey for 2023 released in Abuja on Tuesday, listed Abia State as having recordetd the highest unemployment rate at 18.7 per cent.

In a statement issued by Mr Sunday Ichedi, Director of Communications and Public Relations, NBS, the report provided a comprehensive picture of Nigeria’s labour market performance for 2023, offering vital insights into key labour market indicators.

Ichedi said the release of the 2023 annual report marked the first of its kind, conducted in line with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) guidelines between the 4th Quarter of 2022 and the 3rd Quarter of 2023.

He said the findings offered detailed state-level data on critical labour market indicators such as unemployment, underemployment, wage employment, informal employment, and youth participation in education, employment, or training.

Further highlights of the report showed that in terms of educational attainment, the rate of unemployment was highest among persons with post-secondary education at 9.4 per cent in 2023.

That Nasarawa State is recording the lowest unemployment rate in the country is a testimony to the pragmatic and result-oriented policy thrust of the Governor Sule administration. It’s also a definitive statement confirming that, indeed, Governor Sule’s policies and programnes are achieving the desired results.

The U. S Bureau of Labor Statistics says that unemployment is a key indicator of the health of an economy. A low unemployment rate represents a strong economy while a high unemployment rate represents a weak economy.

A low unemployment rate would also mean that many citizens are enjoying financial security. They are able to participate in the consumption economy beyond their basic needs and create demand.

Nasarawa State’s impressive achievement of recording the lowest unemployment rate in Nigeria, at 0.5%, can be attributed to several factors propelled by Governor Sule’s policy focus on technical education, skills acquisition, and employment generation.

Indeed, the employment of over 8,000 citizens in the public sector by the present administration is a significant contributor to this achievement. This move not only provides livelihoods but also injects spending power into the local economy.

Most significantly, the state’s economic growth, driven by various sectors such as agriculture, mining, and investment in human capital development, is another factor. As the state’s economy expands, job opportunities increase, contributing to lower unemployment rates.

Additionally, collaboration between the public and private sectors can foster a conducive business environment, attracting investments and creating jobs. Under the administration of Governor Sule, Nasarawa State has become an investment haven, with presently the state hosting the largest lithium processing factory in the world.

It is therefore a statement of fact that there is low unemployment rate in Nasarawa mainly because the economy of the state is strong and that citizens can access not necessarily government jobs but private sector jobs and through the establishment of private businesses.

The vision for the establishment of the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technology Institute is gradually being realized. As a trained engineer who has strong believe in education for self-reliance, Governor Sule’s vision for this technical institute is all encompassing.

This institute is expected to impact necessary technical skills on the youths, as well as graduates of universities and polytechnics from other fields of study, who will be trained to become self-reliant.

Having recognized the significance role of human capital development in the overall growth and development of the economy of the state, the Governor established the Nasarawa State Human Capital Development Agency (NSHCDA), saddled with the responsibility of accelerating growth and development in the state.

Human capital development plays a vital role in sustaining economic growth, boosting productivity, and reducing poverty, with a focus on investing in people through healthcare, education, and labour force participation.

In Nasarawa State, the vision of the NSHCDA is to accelerate growth and development towards making the state among the ten most competitive economies in Nigeria through optimizing skills and knowledge to maximize value production.

As part of its activities to provide employment for the teeming youths of the state, the NSHCDA, in collaboration with the Poise Graduate Academy and Oxfam Nigeria, organized employability and entrepreneurship training aimed at enhancing the capacity of graduates to gain employment and engage in meaningful ventures.
The agency, the first of its kind in the country, also floated the Nasarawa Youth Revolving Fund Scheme, in collaboration with the Bank of Industry, where N500m was mobilized to provide seed money to young entrepreneurs to start their businesses.

Abare is the Special Assistant on Media to the Governor of Nasarawa State.