By Muhammad Gazali Garba
Sokoto State Governor, Dr Ahmed Aliyu, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to job creation and youth empowerment, saying various programmes are being implemented to improve livelihoods and expand economic opportunities.
Aliyu spoke at a Citizens’ Engagement Programme organised by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Sokoto, with the theme, “Renewed Hope: Protecting Workers, Creating Jobs and Building a Resilient Labour Market.” The event was held at the Sultan Maccido Institute for Qur’anic and General Studies, Sokoto.
The governor said thousands of youths and women had benefited from vocational skills training and the distribution of working tools to support business development and economic self-reliance.
He also highlighted other interventions, including fertiliser distribution to farmers, cash assistance to beneficiaries under the Amadu Cares Programme and the employment of unemployed youths.
Aliyu commended the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment for choosing Sokoto as the host of the programme and pledged his administration’s continued cooperation with the Federal Government to promote employment opportunities and improve workers’ welfare.
In his remarks, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, called for stronger collaboration among government, employers and organised labour to translate the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda into tangible benefits for workers and job seekers.
He stressed the need to promote decent employment, protect workers’ rights and sustain industrial harmony, noting that a stable labour environment was essential for economic growth.
Dingyadi also underscored the importance of constructive dialogue among stakeholders in resolving industrial disputes, safeguarding workers’ interests and creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr Kamal A. Shoretire, said the Citizens’ Engagement Programme was designed to promote public participation in government policies and provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss employment challenges and workers’ welfare.
He emphasised that sustained engagement between government and citizens was crucial to developing effective labour policies that addressed the needs of workers and society.
In a goodwill message, the Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Sokoto State Council, Comrade Hamisu Hussaini, commended the state government for its commitment to workers’ welfare, particularly the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage across the state workforce, local government councils and Local Government Education Authorities.
The programme brought together government officials, labour representatives and other stakeholders to deliberate on employment generation, workers’ protection, industrial relations and strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s labour market.
