Enugu State Government has inaugurated an Employment Council and validated its Employment Action Plan to tackle unemployment, reduce poverty and create sustainable jobs.
The Enugu State Government has inaugurated the Enugu State Employment Council as part of a coordinated strategy to tackle unemployment, reduce poverty and expand sustainable economic opportunities across the state.
The council was inaugurated by Governor Peter Mbah on Tuesday, August 18, during the Enugu State Employment Action Plan (E-SEAP) Consultative Meeting and Validation Workshop held at BON Sunshine Hotel, Enugu.
The workshop was organised by the state government in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, Governor Mbah said Enugu’s selection as one of the pioneering states for the development and validation of a State Employment Action Plan represented an important opportunity to strengthen employment governance.
He said the E-SEAP would provide a structured framework for addressing unemployment, expanding economic opportunities and improving coordination among government, employers, workers and development partners.
Mbah said his administration had already implemented interventions in infrastructure, education, healthcare and security aimed at creating a more conducive environment for businesses and economic activities.
He assured stakeholders that the government would continue to work with relevant institutions and development partners to address labour-market challenges and expand employment opportunities for residents.
The emphasis on coordinated employment planning aligns with the ILO’s broader approach to employment policy, which recognises skills development, private-sector growth, entrepreneurship and labour-market information as important components of effective job-creation strategies.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Mohammad Maigari Dingyadi, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Kamil Shoretire, said the National Employment Policy, launched in 2025, provides a strategic framework for strengthening employment governance in Nigeria.
He said the Federal Government expects all 36 states to develop employment action plans that reflect their individual economic strengths, labour-market conditions and specific challenges.
According to him, the plans are expected to bring government, employers, organised labour and other stakeholders together to develop practical responses to unemployment and promote sustainable job creation.
The ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Vanessa Phala, commended the Enugu Government and Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment for establishing the Employment Council.
Phala described the council as an important step towards strengthening employment governance and social dialogue in the state.
She said the council would help coordinate employment policies across ministries, departments and agencies while creating stronger collaboration between employers, workers and other stakeholders.
Phala identified four priority areas in the draft E-SEAP: Digital and knowledge economy, Creative industries and services, Transformation and formalisation of the informal sector, Youth skills development and alignment with Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
She stressed that the ultimate measure of the plan’s success should be the number and quality of jobs created, particularly for young women and men.
The ILO official also called for clearly defined institutional responsibilities, adequate funding, reliable employment data, effective coordination, monitoring and accountability.
The Commissioner for Labour and Employment, Dr Felix Nnamani, described the validation workshop as a strategic milestone in Enugu’s employment drive.
Nnamani said the state government had already taken steps to create jobs, citing the recruitment of 10,000 smart teachers in 2025 for the state’s Smart Schools programme.
He said the new Employment Council would further strengthen collaboration among government agencies, organised labour, employers and development partners in tackling employment challenges.
The creation of employment opportunities through education and skills development is particularly significant given the longstanding challenge of youth unemployment and skills mismatch in Nigeria. The ILO has previously identified the alignment of skills development with labour-market needs as critical to improving young people’s transition into decent work.
The workshop, themed “Value-Driven Strategies for Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth,” also featured the validation of the Enugu State Employment Action Plan and discussions on its implementation.
Representatives of organised labour and development partners, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), delivered goodwill messages.
With the establishment of the Employment Council and validation of E-SEAP, Enugu is seeking to move from fragmented employment interventions to a more coordinated framework that connects government policy, private-sector opportunities, skills development and labour-market needs.
The effectiveness of the initiative, however, will ultimately depend on implementation, funding, reliable employment data and measurable job-creation outcomes — areas the ILO has identified as essential to turning employment plans into tangible opportunities.
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