Friday, August 21, 2020 / 10:18AM / by FBNQuest Research / Header Image Credit: Daily Trust 

Todaywe continue our commentary around the recently released NBS labour forcereport. Nigeria has a large population, estimated as high as 198 million andlargely untapped human capital. The report also covers unemployment by state.It shows that in Q2 2020, Imo State recorded the highest rate of unemployment -48.7%. This was followed by Akwa Ibom with 45.2% and Rivers State with 43.7.The states with the lowest rates were Anambra, Kwara and Sokoto at 13.1%, 13.8%and 13.9% respectively.

Thelabour force size for each state is a core element of the labour forcestatistics. Lagos' population, the highest, is estimated at 6.8 million. Kano,Rivers and Kaduna had 4.5 million, 3.9 million and 3.4 million respectively astheir labour force size in Q2 2020.

According to the NBS report, states with a higherpropensity for women to be housewives or that have indigenes with negativeattitudes to work tend to have lower unemployment rates as they are notconsidered part of the labour force in the first place, and as such have nobearing on the rate of unemployment.

Due the peculiarity of this survey because of theCOVID-19 pandemic, the survey incorporated the number of individuals with jobsbut were unable to work due to the pandemic. The results show that an estimated2,736,076 people (or 3.4% of the labour force) did not work during the periodbut have secured jobs to return to after COVID-19 lockdown restrictions arefully lifted.

Lagos state has made positive steps with jobplacements through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF). During adigital dialogue briefing held in June, the Executive Director of LSETFdisclosed that they have considered empowering other states by sharing aspectsof their model to boost job creation and support the youth population acrossstates in Nigeria. Edo State has already benefitted from this model.

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