The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, has stated that the ministry is making vigorous efforts to address unemployment in the country.

Dingyadi made this known on Monday while appearing before the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity, chaired by Senator Diket Plang (APC, Plateau).

Having been in office for only three months, the minister emphasised that no time was being wasted in combating unemployment.

“We are actively fighting unemployment in the ministry because that is our key responsibility,” Dingyadi said.

“All the skill development programmes we are undertaking are designed to tackle unemployment. This is our primary focus, and we are fully committed to ensuring that we address this challenge comprehensively,” he added.

When asked about unemployment statistics in the country, Dingyadi admitted he did not have the specific figures at hand and refrained from providing uncertain data.

“We didn’t anticipate this question, and I don’t want to provide figures I’m unsure of. However, I can assure you that we have these figures.

“We need to coordinate with our parastatals and agencies working on this issue to compile accurate statistics. Once this is done, we will share them with the committee and make them public if necessary,” he said.

Dingyadi also expressed confidence in the committee’s ability to assess the validity of the data when provided.

“I know members of this committee are serious and intelligent. When we bring these figures, you will be able to verify their accuracy,” he concluded.