FG extends Special Public Works programme

18 Aug FG extends Special Public Works programme

Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo says the Federal Government has approved the extension of the Special Public Works (SPW) programme.

He spoke in Nasarawa State, yesterday, at the opening of a three-day training/meeting of zonal directors and state coordinators of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

The SPW programme targets the employment of 774,000 people: 1000 from each of the country’s 774 local government areas.

Keyamo said President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Directorate to develop a blueprint for the second phase of the programme.
“The Federal Government has expressed its desire to extend the programme. Therefore, we need to go back to Mr. President with a clear template on what we did and what we need to do to improve,” he said.

He, however, did not give a definite timeline for the commencement of the second phase or format.

He said: “We really do not know when the next programme will commence and do not also know the format it will take. This meeting will formulate all of that and then submit our report to Mr. President who will decide the next line of action.

“But what is sure is that the programme will continue. This workshop is to take stock of the challenges that we confronted in the implementation process of the 774,000 SPW and fine-tune the processes going forward.”