Fayemi: Governance shouldn’t focus on employment — but on providing enabling environment

Kayode Fayemi, a presidential hopeful on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the focus of government should not be on creating employment.

Fayemi said this on Wednesday at a question-and-answer session after he formally declared his intention to run for president.

When asked how he would tackle unemployment if elected president, Fayemi said rather than focus on job creation, government should create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

“It is not the job of the government to start focusing on employment, but it is our job to provide the enabling environment for the private sector to thrive; the agriculture sector to thrive, and the infrastructure sector that we have to create jobs,” he said.

”There are so many jobs tied to these various segments of our economy. That is what we need to do in addition to addressing questions of skills.

“We talked about employment. The majority of our young people don’t have the requisite skills to do the jobs that are necessary to do. We need innovation, creativity, technology and skills in addition to providing the enabling environment to allow this to happen.”

Speaking when he announced his presidential bid, the Ekiti governor said he will make life worth living if elected.

“I offer myself as the leadership figure who is willing and primed to work with you, beloved compatriots, to launch and drive the hard work of surmounting difficult times, fostering trust, and building bridges to carry us in unity, equity, and justice into our new dawn of progress and prosperity,” he said.

“Programmatically, as the standard-bearer of the APC, I will be leading the implementation of a holistic and integrated response to the multifaceted security crises confronting us.

“To this end, the retooling of our armed forces, intelligence agencies, and border guards will be pursued in tandem with an overhaul of our policing system and the phasing in of bold universal social policies that will enable us decisively to tackle poverty and upgrade human capital and security.

“Believe me, Nigeria is worth living for and it is up to us to make the living worthwhile. Be reassured that help is on the way and hopefully will be restored.

“This then is my pledge to you today, delivered before man and God. Together, we shall bring that dream to full fruition in our lifetime and it will blossom to the pride of all Nigerians and the admiration of the world. Let the work begin. I am ready.”