Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has said that investing in the youth is key to addressing the shortage of skilled workforce in the country.
Obi’s assertion came in commemoration of Workers’ Day, on Thursday, which he shared via a statement on X (Formerly Twitter)
The former Anambra governor highlighted the “obvious struggles and harsh realities” of workers in Nigeria amid “severe economic and political challenges.”
He said that despite these very challenging times, Nigerian workers have continued to show resilience and commitment to the nation’s growth.
“Notwithstanding the recent reconfiguration of our economic indices, the reality is that today, Nigeria has unemployment and under-employment rate of over 35% and youth unemployment and under-employment rate of over 45% which is one of the highest globally, fueling all sorts of criminality and social vices.
“Aggressive investment in the productive population remains the best and fastest route to bridging this shortage of well-trained workers and moving our nation from consumption to production.”
Obi called for targeted investment in the population, especially the youth, to shift the country from a consumption-based economy to a productive one.
“As I have often said, we can build a productive economy by investing in education, healthcare, and poverty reduction through job creation and small business support,” he added.
He further urged the government to create an enabling environment that offers opportunities and fair wages, while also recognising the value of honest labour.
