A bill that seeks to establish a national internship and unemployment benefit scheme in the country on Wednesday, May 8, scaled second reading in the Senate.
The scheme, according to a financial compendium accompanying the Bill, would gulp N1.36billion annually.
The Bill was sponsored by Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu (APC-Ogun Central).
Salisu in his lead debate noted that the proposed law holds immense promise for Nigerian youth and the future of the workforce.
Salisu said: “The legislation seeks to establish a structured and comprehensive framework for a National Internship and Unemployment Benefit Scheme that will serve as a catalyst for skills development, job readiness, and seamless transition of our graduates into the professional realm.
“As we all know, unemployment remains a critical challenge in our country, particularly among the youth. Each academic year, universities and polytechnics admit close to 2 million students and produce about 600,000 graduates.
“The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has linked unemployment in Nigeria to the phenomenon of jobless growth, increased number of school graduates with no matching job opportunities, a moratorium on employment in many public and private-sector institutions, and continued job losses in the manufacturing and oil sectors.
