From Khadija Aliyu (Kano)
President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated his administration’s commitment in uplifting the standard of living and providing jobs opportunities to Nigerian youths.
Buhari made the disclosure during the flag off of the 774,000 extended special public works program held in Kano.
Muhammadu Buhari who was represented by the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi( rtd) said the extended special public works program is an outcome of the pilot special public works program approved and implemented by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in the early part of the year 2020.
He explained that the pilot program was implemented in eight states of the federation in order to provide the necessary economic palliatives to the 774,000 unemployed youths, saying that federal government would closely monitor the execution of the program to achieve the desired objectives.
Earlier in his remarks, the Acting Director General of the NDE, Malam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo said the commencement of the initiative was delayed due to the covid 19 pandemic.
Malam Abubakar who was represented by the the Director Procurement NDE, Malam Aliyu Abubakar Bichi noted that beneficiaries were selected from each ward after careful deliberation and scrutiny.
The extended special public works program (SPW) was initiated by the present administration in which one thousand youths from each of the 774 local governments across the Nation will engage in community services.