LEEP: Nigeria Launches Mega Job Creation, Empowerment Initiative, Lauds Labour Ministry

Oru Leonard

The Federal Government has launched the Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme (LEEP), an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, targeted at creating jobs and empowerment across all sectors of the economy.

Under the programme, the Federal Government would directly and indirectly create at least 2.5 million sustainable jobs within two years, while laying the foundation for long-term economic growth and development.

Speaking at the official launch of the programme on Tuesday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu highlighted the need to rethink the dynamics of a rapidly evolving world, as it concerns the future of work, with the very idea of what constitutes a job being redefined by the displacement of hands and human intelligence by machines and artificial intelligence.

The President, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, noted that beyond the uncertainty of the displacement of the traditional employment structures by crude digital ecosystems lay a sea of opportunities.

He explained that it was in this regard that his administration a few months ago, announced a national initiative designed to expand employment opportunities, equip Nigerians with critical skills, and drive economic empowerment through innovation and technology.

The President gave the assurance that LEEP would equip Nigerians with critical skills, and drive economic empowerment through innovation and technology.

Tinubu said: “LEEP aims to provide comprehensive training that equips our people with the right skills to compete and contribute to today’s global economy, and this intervention is not just about creating jobs, it is also about transformation.

“We must prepare our citizens not only for the jobs that exist, but also for the opportunities yet to be imagined.”

Speaking further, Tinubu said his administration was laying the foundation for inclusive programmes, and called upon the private sector, civil society, trade unions, and the nation’s international partners to join forces with the government in creating a workforce that is not just employable but also empowered, in fulfilment of his promise to build a national ecosystem where every Nigerian worker can reach their full potential, and where technology enhances, instead of threatening the labour market.

While acknowledging the role played by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, in the conception of the LEEP initiative, the President also appreciated deeply the leadership and staff of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, along with everyone who worked to make the programme a reality, describing them as “the quiet architects of progress.”

Making remarks, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, described the programme as a clear testament to the commitment of President Tinubu to deliver the gains of democracy and good governance to the citizens of Nigeria.

Dingyadi reiterated that unemployment is amongst the severe social problems facing the youths the world over, either directly or remotely, with far-reaching consequences.

The Minister attributed unemployment in Nigeria to various reasons, including economic instability due to recessions and depressions, inadequate quality education and training to match the available jobs, as well as the difficult circumstances that businesses operate in, which are not conducive for creating new jobs.

Dingyadi noted that “the Federal Government, in a deliberate effort to mitigate these challenges, has developed various policies to mitigate youth unemployment, recognising that adequate skilling and entrepreneurship are critical solutions to the problem of unemployment.”

He said: “Through this programme, our target is to create millions of jobs annually and reduce unemployment rate significantly. One of the underlying strategies of LEEP is to identify marketable skills and build the capacity of youths in these areas with a view to juxtaposing requisite skills with identified demands, as well as encouraging self-employment sustainability.”

Dingyadi added that the programme, when fully operational, would not only tackle youth unemployment, but would also address the other cross-cutting lingering challenges such as security and economic growth that would advance Nigeria’s national priorities and the attainment of the Renewed Hope Agenda of this administration.

Speaking, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, described the programme as an institutional shift and a signal that the Ministry of Labour and Employment is stepping forward to play its full constitutional role of training, up-skilling, coordinating, and connecting Nigerians to meaningful work.

Onyejeocha explained that the Ministry does not seek to duplicate the efforts of other ministries or agencies, but offers partnership and coordination, adding that LEEP is designed to federate efforts across government organisations, development finance institutions, and the private sector.

She noted that the LEEP was designed “to expand access to sustainable employment, equip Nigerians with industry-aligned skills, stimulate entrepreneurship and economic diversification, and serve as a national aggregator of real-time labour market data — helping government, investors, and employers understand the evolving demands of the country’s economy.”

(FMOL Press, 16 April, 2025)