By Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Plateau State Government has acknowledged that employment is a pillar of development, describing it as a foundation for human dignity, social stability, economic growth and inclusive development.
Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang stated this while declaring open a two-day stakeholder consultation on the development of the Plateau State Employment Action Plan (SEAP) and the establishment of the State Employment Council (SEC) at Crispan Hotel, Jos.
The Governor was represented at the event by the Deputy Governor, Hon. Josephine Piyo.
Mutfwang said Plateau State has a vibrant youthful population, abundant human capital, a growing technology ecosystem and a long tradition of enterprise and innovation.
He, however, noted that the major challenge was not a lack of potential but how to systematically transform the available potential into sustainable livelihoods and decent employment opportunities.
“Government must therefore increasingly become an enabler, regulator, facilitator and catalyst of employment creation.
“This requires a coordinated employment strategy that connects education and skills development with the actual needs of the labour market,” he said.
The Governor said the National Employment Policy 2025 and the proposed State Employment Action Plan were particularly important to his administration’s vision of building a Plateau State that is economically productive, socially inclusive and capable of providing opportunities for citizens to prosper through hard work, enterprise and innovation.
He assured that the government was committed to implementing policies and programmes that would expand economic opportunities, empower young people, support vulnerable groups and strengthen the capacity of institutions to respond to changing labour market realities.
According to him, sustainable employment cannot be created by government alone, but requires the combined efforts of government, organised labour, the private sector, development partners, civil society organisations, local governments and citizens.
Mutfwang said the State Employment Action Plan should serve as a practical framework for coordinating these efforts by identifying employment challenges peculiar to Plateau State, establishing clear priorities, assigning responsibilities, setting measurable targets and providing mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating results.
He explained that the real test of the consultation would not be the quality of the documents produced, but the extent to which they translated into tangible opportunities for the people.
The Governor said the action plan must be practical, realistic and implementation-oriented, providing clear answers to fundamental questions on how to create more decent jobs for young people.
He also challenged stakeholders to examine how graduates and school leavers could be equipped with skills required by employers, how young entrepreneurs could be supported to transform ideas and small enterprises into sustainable businesses capable of creating jobs, and how the employment potential of agriculture and agro-processing could be unlocked.
“These are the issues we expect this consultation to address candidly and constructively,” he said.
On the proposed State Employment Council, Mutfwang said the body would be important in ensuring sustained coordination and accountability in the state’s employment sector.
He said the council was expected to bring together relevant arms of government and key stakeholders in the labour and employment ecosystem to provide strategic direction, facilitate coordination and ensure that employment remained a central consideration in the state’s development planning.
“The Council should also provide a platform for continuous dialogue between government, employers and workers, while ensuring that the voices of young people and other relevant stakeholders are reflected in employment policies and programmes,” he said.
The Governor said the establishment of the council presented an opportunity to build a more coherent and responsive employment governance structure in Plateau State.
He therefore called on participants to approach the consultation with open minds and a strong commitment to finding practical solutions.
He also urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to provide reliable data and candid assessments of existing employment programmes, gaps and opportunities.
Mutfwang said Plateau State would not merely participate in the pilot programme but would work to make it a success.
He added that the state was prepared to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and other development partners to ensure that lessons from Plateau State contributed to the successful implementation of the National Employment Policy across Nigeria.
He expressed optimism that the consultation would produce not just another policy document, but a clear roadmap for creating decent and sustainable employment opportunities for the people of Plateau State.