Ngige inaugurates electronic platform in Lagos for job seekers

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, on Monday in Lagos inaugurated an upgraded electronic platform, National Electronic Labour Exchange Centre (NELEX), to minimise challenges being faced by job seekers.

The inauguration was held in collaboration with the Nigerian-German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (NGC), Lagos and German Agency for International Cooperation, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

NELEX is an electronic platform that also enables job seekers to facilitate job matching and drastically reduce time and resources spent in job search.

Ngige said the event was yet another milestone in the ministry’s collaboration and partnership with GIZ.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, you will agree with me that the importance of this project cannot be over-emphasised in view of its numerous achievements, opportunities and benefits to the government and people of Nigeria.

“Therefore, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMLE) is fully committed to the successful implementation of the NGC project.

“Its objectives are in line with the ministry’s mandate of promoting employment, safe, orderly and regular labour migration in order to deter irregular migration in the country,” the minister said.

Also, the Consul-General, Federal Republic of Germany, Dr Bernd Von Monchow, said sufficient availability of jobs was central to the progress of any country- even more in and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Monchow said the virus had become a major job-killer, further aggravating an already very difficult labour market situation with not enough job opportunities for the country’s rapidly growing population.

“The connection between migration and employment or the lack thereof has attracted increasing attention from which approximately 400 are returnees from Germany- have benefitted from business start-up support.

“These results could have never been achieved without the migrant respurce centres of the FMLE in Abuja, Benin and here in Lagos and department of Wages and Employment, FMLE.

“We look forward to see the continuation of this fruitful cooperation and the expansion of our activities in Lagos in 2022,” the consul-general said.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Lagos Chapter, Mr Gbenga Ekundayo, said that the Nigerian-German centre for jobs, migration and reintegration was a welcome development that required commitment of every stakeholder.

Ekundayo said: “Today’s inauguration will further enhance the capacity of the GIZ in training Nigerians, both returnees and locals, in various chosen fields with the development of the new facility here in Ikoyi.

“As a labour centre, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Lagos State Council, will be working closely with GIZ and FMLE office of the Labour Comptroller in particular, to leverage on available opportunities to improve the lives of our members and Lagos people in general.