Bureau of Statistics Releases States with Highest Unemployment Rate

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Akwa Ibom reported the highest unemployment rate of 37.7 per cent in third quarter 2018.

NBS said this in its “Labour Force Statistics – Volume 2: Unemployment and Underemployment by State”, for Third Quarter, 2018, posted on its website, NAN reports.  

The bureau said that Rivers had the second highest reported unemployment rate with 36.4 per cent followed by Bayelsa with 32.6 per cent.

Also, Abia recorded 31.6 per cent and Borno reported 31.4 per cent unemployment rate in the quarter under review.

The report said the top five states with the highest unemployed population were Rivers (1,673,991), Akwa Ibom (1,357,754), Kano (1,257,130), Lagos (1,088,352) and Kaduna with (940,480).

It said among these five states with the highest unemployed population, Lagos state reported the lowest rate of 14.6 per cent during the quarter.

Meanwhile, the bureau said Katsina State, Jigawa, Kaduna State and Yobe recorded the highest underemployment rates of 39.5, 38.1, 31.0 and 30.0 per cent.

New Minimum Wage: Government Begins Negotiations with NLC

Oyo State Government has opened negotiations on the new minimum wage, as it congratulated the newly elected officers of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state.

This is contained in a statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun, on Friday in Ibadan.

The NLC in the state on Thursday elected its new officers with Mr Adebayo Titilolola-Sodo as the new State Chairman.

The state government commended the union for its peaceful transition, adding that its doors for negotiation on the minimum wage were opened as requested in the union’s earlier letter.

It promised that a meeting would be held with NLC on Monday to open discussions on modalities for implementing the new minimum wage signed by President Muhammad Buhari on April 18.

The state government commended the state chapter of NLC for its cooperation in the last eight years of the Abiola Ajimobi-led administration.

“The Oyo State Government is impressed with the hitch free elections of the NLC and the peaceful leadership transition, which is in tandem with the ideals of the Ajimobi administration.

“This coincides with the inauguration of transition committee comprising top government officials and the nominees of the governor-elect by the governor,’’ it said.

TCN Confirms Shutdown of Generating Plants as Blackout Hits States

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on Friday announced that the National Grid is experiencing reduced power generation.

It said this was due to emergency maintenance by Nigeria Gas Company on its gas pipeline supplying gas to Egbin, Omotosho, Olorunsogo and Paras Power Stations.

This was reportedly caused by leakage discovered on the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System gas pipeline, necessitating the total shutdown of the four power generating plants on 25th April, 2019.

In a statement signed by Ndidi Mbah, General Manager Public Affairs, TCN said that prior to the incident, Omotosho NIPP and Olorunsogo NIPP had already been out due to gas supply issues.

According to the statement, NGC worked hard to repair the gas pipeline so that normal gas supply can be restored to the affected power plants.

“Presently, repairs have been completed and the pipeline is currently being pressurised prior to resumption of gas supply to the affected power stations”, it said.

TCN further noted that it has diverted about 312MW load from the Benin-Egbin 330kV transmission line which tripped at 23.14hours on Tuesday, 23rd April, 2019, to Omotosho –Ikeja West and Ayede-Ikeja 330kV transmission lines, due to on-going repair works on the Benin-Egbin 330kV transmission line.

FG to Employ 168 Recipients of President’s NYSC Honours Awards

The Federal Government has offered employment to 168 corps members who won the President’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Honours Awards.

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, announced this at the award ceremony, which held on Friday in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

Osinbajo directed that the recipients of the awards, be employed immediately into the Federal Civil Service.

He also announced automatic scholarships for the awardees, to undertake postgraduate studies of their choice.

3 Killed As Fresh Crisis Breaks Out in Kaduna

At least three people have lost their lives in a fresh crisis in Kasuwan Mangani area of Kaduna State.

As of the time of filing this report, security operatives were yet to apprehend or identify perpetrators of the killings, while the identities of the casualities are still unknown too.

In reaction to this latest security threat, the Kaduna State government announced the imposition of a 24-hour curfew on Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking on the incident, Samuel Aruwan, spokesman of the Kaduna State government, said the imposition of the curfew is to avert any further breakdown of law and order and also to prevent the crisis from spilling over to neighboring villages in the local government council.

Aruwan urged citizens to comply and support efforts of government and security agencies to ensure peace and stability in the community.

Sahara Reporters had earlier reported how the Kaduna State government beefed up security in Kajuru to thwart the fresh wave of killing sweeping across Kasuwan from reaching Kajuru and other communities.

CAN Urges Govt to Secure Kajuru Communities

Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Joseph Hayab, has urged the Kaduna State Government to secure communities ravaged by herdsmen in Kajuru Local Government Area, to enable victims of the attacks return to their homes.

Speaking in Kaduna, while receiving building materials donated to the victims of the attacks by the National Secretariat of CAN, Hayap, also called on communities to evolve ways to protect themselves from attacks by bandits.

He said communities must stop waiting for the police and the army to come and protect them, stressing that it is lawful for communities to secure their environment against attacks by evil people. ”We are calling on government to ensure the security of the communities destroyed so that people can go back home.

“We will give them the food they will eat, we will give them materials that they can rebuild their homes” he said.

Chinese Road Workers Kidnapped in Nigeria

Two Chinese nationals working on a road project in southeast Nigeria have been kidnapped by an armed gang.

Employees of the Tongyi group of companies, Sun Zhixin and Wang Quing Hu were working in Ebonyi State when they were apprehended at around 3.30pm local time yesterday.

“The area was combed to track down the bandits but no result, a track down rescue team has been dispatched to move on in order to rescue the Chinese nationals unhurt,” a police spokeswoman told the Premium Times newspaper.

According to the newspaper, the spokeswoman expressed “shock” that the company was working at the remote site without having applied for police protection.

The site was described as being at located at the Ivo river, at the boundary between Ebonyi and Enugu states.

Kidnappings and violence against foreigners in Nigeria is not uncommon.

On Friday, 19 April a 29-year-old British woman was killed by gunmen while on holiday in the northern city of Kaduna. A Nigerian man was also killed in the attack, while three other  people were kidnapped.