Registration for 774,000 jobs ends in two weeks, says Fed Govt

From Frank Ikpefan, Abuja and Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado-Ekiti

The Federal Government has said registration for the 774,000 Special Public Works Programme will end on September 21, 2020.

The government, which announced the end of registration through the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), urged Nigerians willing to participate in the programme to get in touch with the selection committees in their states.

The announcement came on Monday via an advertorial by NDE Director General Nasir Ladan.

The Special Public Works Programme is a dry season/off season transient jobs and rehabilitation/maintenance of social infrastructure.

The programme is designed to employ 1,000 persons in each of the 774 local government areas of the country.

Successful applicants are to be paid N20,000 per month for three months via their Bank Verification Number (BVN).

The programme is expected to gulp N52 billion for payment of the participants and implemention of the programme.

The government said prospective participants must be Nigerians of 18 years and above; must be physically fit or with no partial disability; and must be indigenes or residents within the local government areas of participation.

It added that no formal education is required for participation in the programme, which is expected to begin on October 1, 2020.

“Unemployed Nigerians willing to participate in the programme should make enquiries from the state selection committee chairmen who are piloting the registration process in the states.

“The registration is free and open to all Nigerians that meet the criteria – from September 7 to 21, 2020,” the government said.

Also, the Ekiti State Committee on Special Public Works has begun the recruitment of 16,000 youths in the 16 local government areas of the state for the jobs.

The three-day recruitment, which started Monday, will end Wednesday.

It attracted thousands of applicants from the 16 local government areas.

The Chairman of State Committee on Special Public Works Committee Programme, Biodun Omoleye, monitored the recruitment.

Omoleye, who is the Chief of Staff to Governor Kayode Fayemi, said: “The exercise has started in all the local governments and registration is on ward basis. People have been coming out to register. It is free. No payment is required for registration.”