Abuja — The Federal Government has unveiled plans to establish a National Employment Council that would liase with states and other stakeholders to implement policies aimed at meeting the job creation aspect of the 2020 economic vision.

As part of measures to ensure that the policies are implemented, the Ministry of Labour said N7, 839 billion has been proposed to fund intervention activities aimed at employment generation.

It said the decision to set up the Council is a follow-up to the national policy on employment, which was developed through multiple stakeholders and multi-agency consultation and collaboration.

Minister of Labour, Dr Mohammed Hassan Lawal who said this at the handing-over ceremony of the out-going Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Professor Oladapo Afolabi, to the in-coming Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Suleiman Kassim, said President Umaru Yar'Adua has charged the ministry to coordinate all intervention measures in the area of employment and empowerment issues, social security and safety nets, industrial peace, productivity promotion/improvement and institution building and strengthening.

Lawal said the Ministry of Labour and the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) would work in collaboration with NAPEP, Nigeria Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ministry of Finance and Millennium Development Goals (MDG) to implement government's programmes in the area of job creation.