The Federal Government has ordered that a site be built to document citizens who are unemployed in response to criticism of the employment gap in Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari presided over the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, where the resolution was achieved just before he left for Rwanda to attend the CHOGM in 2022.
Additionally, Nigerians abroad would be considered by the recruitment portal.
Chris Ngige, the minister of labour and employment, also mentioned that the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund's (NSITF) operations will be digitalized after council approval.
He said, "The ministry today handed two memos to Council. The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, one of our parastatals, presented the first memo (NSITF).
"As you are aware, the NSITF has had a number of revenue losses and thefts of cash that were donated to the group.
Employers in the public and commercial sectors are required under the Employee Compensation Act of 2010 to contribute one percent of their employees' salaries to a social fund in the National Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
"And this one is to be utilised as an insurance fund or premium to cover employees or staff members who suffer accidents, illnesses, impairments, or even fatalities as a result of their work. It is comparable to an insurance policy for accidents or injuries.
"It must be done for workers in addition to collective life, according to the Pension Act. As a result, neither the payments nor the funds that went in there were used appropriately.
Therefore, we presented a memo today to council for an e-NSITF, through which their operations will now be digitalized.
They have 56 branches and 11 regional offices, and they accept payments from any of their stations.
You can pay and register on that platform from the convenience of your office, and the money is now tracked into the Central pool.
"If claims are filed from the central pool and payments are also paid to the beneficiaries' insurance, you track these as well.
So, this is one of the actions the government has taken to make it easier for everyone to do business and to digitalize the economy.
"As a result, this will increase efficiency and aid in the organization's rapid expansion.
Following the current restructuring agreement for them, the organisation has already been revived.
“Today. All of their salaries can be paid for by NSITF, and they can brag about finishing capital projects.
And as I mentioned earlier, the accountability in place will prevent money leaks as a result of the digitization of funds operation, which is a component of the capital project they are undertaking.
We are also aware that there have in the past been complaints about claims not being paid, but the e-NSITF will log claims and make it possible for individuals to know who made them and who is entitled to get benefits. So, among the memoranda that were provided today is this one.
The council agreed that the digitalization should be finished in eight weeks, and a consultant will handle it.
The e-NSITF will cost N1.2 billion, according to the Minister.
He said that the Nigerian Labour Exchange, or NILEX, platform, which will be housed in his ministry for employment and job development, was authorised by the council.
The second permission, in his words, "had to do with employment and job creation. It is a website hosted by my government called Nigerian Labour Exchange (NILEX).
He emphasised that the digital platform was intended to be utilised by employers on the one hand and job searchers on the other, explaining that the platform had not been improved over time and could not withstand the stress of the amount of individuals seeking to go into it.
"The businesses will come in and load the vacancy they have, the type of expertise they require, and the qualifications of people that can fit there," he said.
"Then the job seekers—those looking for employment, graduates and non-graduates—will register, provide their qualifications, skills, and capabilities, and the two groups will be matched. Through that platform, the employer can communicate with a job applicant.
Therefore, we haven't been able to grow it throughout the years. However, the funds are currently offered through a bilateral or multilateral agreement. As a result, we are revamping, remodelling, and improving the infrastructure.
"Council approved that consultant also does that service with a 12-week completion term, and with that, we have completed the first phase of digitalizing that specific platform.
"One of the benefits of our platform is that it will be a government platform, so all those phone platforms that urge people to register for work and pay in N10,000 or N20,000 will be history once it is live. You can tell it's a legitimate platform when you go there.
"In addition to that, persons in the diaspora can upload their knowledge and tell Nigerians what they have that qualifies them for specific professions, and if there are employers in Nigeria that require them, again there would be a handshake through the same platform."