The Federal Government has stated its commitment to boost the recovery of activities in the informal sector of the economy and to further strengthen the production capacity of entrepreneurs in the COVID-19 economic recovery plan.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige gave the assurance while receiving a delegation of the Organisation of the Trade Union of West Africa (OTUWA ) in Abuja
”In Nigeria, the fatal blow of the Covid-19 pandemic is felt more on earnings and food production. The informal economy is badly hit. This is where you have people with no tenured appointment or jobs; the partially employed, the working poor. The job losses are huge in this sector. We are therefore committing more efforts to lift millions in this bracket out of poverty. More programmes will be introduced in near future,” Ngige said in a statement issued by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan on Friday in Abuja.
The minister commended the Central Bank of Nigeria for its interventions in the government economic recovery plans, noting particularly, the recent one -year moratorium given on interests to entrepreneurs. “In Nigeria, our Central Bank has been alleviating the pains of workers in the private sector, even employers – the industrialists, who for instance have been given one year moratorium on interest on funds sourced through the CBN.
Earlier, the President of OTUWA, Mademba Sock commended Nigeria for supporting the confederation over the years. He sought the assistance of Nigeria towards an accelerated implementation of the decision of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on OTUWA in July 1986 as well as the fast forwarding of the headquarters agreement which Nigeria is yet to comply with. Mademba was accompanied on the visit by John Oda , the Executive Secretary of OTUWA, Max Conte from Sierra Leone, Alain Adikan from Niger and Precious Mbut.
