The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige is seeking foreign support for Nigeria to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs) by 2030.
He noted that with the current state of the growing inequality gap, the achievement of the SDGs by 2030 was at great risk.
Ngige spoke during a plenary session in response to the report of the Chairperson of the Governing Body and Director–General of the International Labour Organisation, Guy Ryder, at the ongoing International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland on Thursday.
The conference was themed: “Social justice, decent work.”
The minister said: “Chairperson, with the current state of growing inequality gap, we consider that the achievement of the SDGs by 2030 is at a great risk. If the goal of “not leaving anyone behind” is ever to be realized, urgent effort, support and contribution will be required by all in a renewed commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation.”
“Nigeria has over the years upheld the four pillars of the Decent Work Agenda as well as the Strategic Objectives of the ILO by implementing different transformative Agenda and Visions to structurally transform and improve its economic productive capacities and outputs. This ultimately is a bit to move the country on the path of sustainable development and economic growth.
“Currently, the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (EGRP) of 2017-2020 is being rolled into National Development Plan 2021-2025 and it takes into cognizance achievements from preceding activities, programs, and projects with well-defined key performance indicators as a guide.
“We have entrepreneurial programs and projects in the agricultural sector through various loan schemes that have created volumes of decent jobs. We also focused on several intervention programs on social assistance and social protection to ensure the non-erosion of the pre-COVID-19 gains on Social Protection Floors. These were to cushion the effect of the emerging global challenges listed in the DG’s report.”
