Keyamo Under Fire After Financial Expert Questioned His Capacity As Labour Minister

Nigeria’s Minister for State Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo has come under attack after financial expert, Kalu Ajah questioned his role in Muhammadu Buhari’s government as Labour Minister.

Aja suggested on Wednesday that Keyamo failed in his role as a Minister of State Labour under the Buhari government.

Keyamo was appointed by Buhari as Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs but he was later moved to serve as State Minister for Labour in September 2019.

Buhari had promised millions of jobs and to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

Under Buhari’s ‘Next Level’ plans, N-Power, an initiative for graduates would engage one million graduates and then there is a promise to skill up 10 million Nigerians under a voucher system in partnership with the private sector.

The plan provides for an “Anchor Borrowers’ Programme to support input and jobs to one million farmers; Livestock Transformation Plan to create 1.5 million jobs along dairy, beef, hide and skin, blood meal, crops; and Agriculture Mechanisation Policy with tractors and processors to create 5 million jobs.”

Buahari also promised $500m innovation fund to tech and creative sector to create 500, 000 jobs, train 200, 000 youths for outsource market in technology services and entertainment.

But under the administration, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that Buhari would be leaving behind one of the worst unemployment record in Nigeria’s history.

According to the NBS, unemployment has risen to 33.3 per cent or 23.18 million Nigerians as of the fourth quarter of 2020, while underemployement is 56.1 per cent.

The NBS also revealed in a 2022 report that 133 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty.

Keyamo is a loyalist of the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Tinubu who was declared winner of the controversial February 25th presidential election.

But he has for long tweeted about his ministry and the unemployment situation in the country.

Minister of Labour and Employment that does not tweet about Labour and Employment is that one a Minister of Labour and Employment ?

— Kalu Aja (@FinPlanKaluAja1) March 15, 2023

“Minister of Labour and Employment that does not tweet about Labour and Employment is that one a Minister of Labour and Employment ?” Aja said in a tweet.

Reacting to his tweet, Kada Ngbale with handle @Kdngbale said, “This speaks to the skewed nature of administration under the purview of political office holders appointed based on party affiliation,.”

Eleri Otu with handle @elescointl said, “He was not appointed because of what he can do. Ministerial appointments are given to party members, election riggers/sponsors and family and friends”

Humphrey Obadjere via his account @humphramania tweeted, “For over 1 year now, that guy has been busy with his phone on Twitter tweeting about the elections & politics. Nigeria is such a joke of a country with the current crop of leaders honestly. To think that he’s still eyeing an office… God forbid.”