The Kano State government has proposed a new policy mandating employment of 75 percent of its indigenes by private companies operating in the state.
A committee named: ‘Kano State Committee on the Domestication of the Federal Character Principle and Private Sector Employment Policy’, was constituted to that effect.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement and validation meeting on Wednesday in Kano, chairman of the committee, Dr. Ibrahim Garba, disclosed that a draft of the proposed law would be submitted to the state’s assembly and the governor for approval.
The move, according to him, is aimed at addressing the growing rate of youth unemployment and restiveness in the state.
Mr Garba explained that the committee was established by Governor Abba Yusuf in response to rising concerns from citizens over the failure of many private companies to employ locals.
“This committee was formed to engage the private sector through consultations and dialogue, to ensure that indigenous people of Kano are prioritized for job opportunities in industries operating within the state,” Mr Garba said.
The chairman said: “75% is clear. There is no any ambiguity. It means that for any firm that operatse within Kano, 75% of its staff should come from indigenous people in Kano.
“But this depends on skills they want and its availability and qualifications you want and its availability,” he clarified.
Mr Garba also revealed that the committee had developed a digital platform that hosts a database of job seekers in the state.
“Industries and companies will be able to access the platform to recruit qualified candidates from the pool of local applicants,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, Chairman of the National Association of Manufacturers, Kano branch, Muhammad Isyaku, commended the committee for its efforts, describing the meeting as timely and necessary.
On his part, Ahmad Zubair, Chairman of the National Association of School Proprietors, lamented the reluctance of young people to take up teaching jobs.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Kano State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Kabir Inuwa, stressed that while the private sector plays a role to play, the government must not abdicate its responsibility in addressing the problem of unemployment.
He, therefore, called for strong collaboration between government and the private sector to tackle the problem effectively.
