by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Plateau State Government has acknowledged that employment is the pillar of development; it is a foundation for human dignity, social stability, economic growth and inclusive development.
The State Governor, Barr Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, was speaking while declaring open of a two days’ Stakeholders’ Consultation on the Development of Plateau State Employment Action Plan (SEAP) and Establishment of the State Employment Council (SEC), which held at Crispan Hotel recently, and was represented by the Deputy Governor, Hon. Josephine Piyo.
While acknowledging the state with a vibrant youthful population, abundant human capital, a growing technology ecosystem and a long tradition of enterprise and innovation, the governor asserted that “Challenge is not a lack of potential; our challenge is how to systematically convert this potential into sustainable livelihoods and decent employment opportunities.
“Government must, therefore, increasingly become an enabler, regulator, facilitator and catalyst of employment creation. This requires a coordinated employment strategy that connects education and skills development with the actual needs of the labour market,” he said.
“It is in this context that the National Employment Policy 2025 and the proposed State Employment Action Plan assume particular importance. The vision of our administration is to build a Plateau State that is economically productive, socially inclusive and capable of providing opportunities for its citizens to prosper through hard work, enterprise and innovation,” he disclosed.
He assured that “Government is committed to implementing policies and programmes that expand economic opportunities, empower our youth, support vulnerable groups and strengthen the capacity of our institutions to respond to the changing realities of the labour market.”
According to him, “This approach is founded on the understanding that sustainable employment cannot be created by government alone; it requires the combined efforts of government, organised labour, the private sector, development partners, civil society organisations, local governments and, most importantly, the citizens themselves.”
The governor added that, “The State Employment Action Plan should, therefore, serve as a practical framework for bringing these efforts together. It must identify the employment challenges peculiar to Plateau State, establish clear priorities, assign responsibilities, define measurable targets and provide mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating results.”
Governor Mutfwang further explained that, “The real test of this consultation will not be the quality of the documents we produce, but the extent to which those documents translate into opportunities for our people.
“While expecting the Plateau State Employment Action Plan to be practical, realistic and implementation-oriented, it should be able to provide clear answers to fundamental questions of how to create more decent jobs for their young people.
“Also, how will they equip their graduates and school leavers with skills that employers actually require; how will they support young entrepreneurs to move from ideas and small enterprises to sustainable businesses capable of employing others?”
Others include: “How will they unlock the employment potential of agriculture and agro-processing? Among others, he said, “These are the issues that expected this consultation to address candidly and constructively.
“The proposed State Employment Council will be particularly important in ensuring sustained coordination and accountability. We envisage a Council that brings together the relevant arms of government and key stakeholders in the labour and employment ecosystem, providing strategic direction, facilitating coordination and ensuring that employment remains a central consideration in the State’s development planning.
“The Council should also provide a platform for continuous dialogue between government, employers and workers, while ensuring that the voices of young people and other relevant stakeholders are reflected in employment policies and programmes.”
According to him, the establishment of the Council, therefore, presents them with an opportunity to build a more coherent and responsive employment governance structure in Plateau State.
“The governor, therefore, calls on all participants at this consultation to approach the exercise with an open mind and a strong commitment to practical solutions,” and urge the Ministries, Departments and Agencies to provide reliable data and candid assessments of existing employment programmes, gaps and opportunities.
Governor Mutfwang further explained that their aspiration is that Plateau State will not merely participate in this pilot programme, saying, “We intend to make it a success, we are prepared to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the International Labour Organization and other development partners to ensure that the lessons from Plateau State contribute to the successful implementation of the National Employment Policy across Nigeria.”
The governor expected that, at the end of this process, they will have not just another policy document, but a clear road-map for creating decent and sustainable employment opportunities for the people of Plateau State.