The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, admitted on Monday that he was unsure of the current unemployment statistics in Nigeria but assured that his ministry is making significant efforts to address the issue.
Dingyadi made this statement while appearing before the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour, and Productivity, chaired by Senator Diket Plang (APC-Plateau). He noted that having only been in office for three months, he is sparing no effort in tackling unemployment.
When asked about the unemployment figures, Dingyadi refrained from providing specific numbers, stating, “I don’t want to give figures I’m not very sure of. But I want to assure you that we have these figures. We will coordinate them across our parastatals and agencies and provide the committee with accurate data.”
He further explained, “We didn’t anticipate this question today, so I didn’t come prepared with the figures. However, I assure you that they will be compiled and made available to the committee and, if necessary, shared publicly. The data exists; we just need to consolidate it.”
Chairman of the committee, Senator Plang, commended President Bola Tinubu’s dedication to improving the welfare of Nigerian workers across both public and private sectors. He also acknowledged the ministry’s efforts to ensure decent work conditions and expand employment opportunities in the country.
