AFRICA, NIGERIA, House Of Reps Throws Out Bill Seeking To Pay Unemployed Graduates Allowance

Nigerian graduates who are largely unemployed might not smile any time soon as a bill seeking to provide monetary incentives for them by the Nigerian state was kicked out by the House of Representatives.

The bill sponsored by Rep Arua Arunsi (PDP, Abia) sought to amend the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Act 2004 to cater for unemployed graduates of tertiary institutions who could not secure employment.

Arunsi in his argument said that the bill was to design and implement programmes to cater for unemployed graduates that are aged 18-35 and also between third to fifth year of post graduation experience.

However, in rejecting the second reading of the bill on the floor of the House, many lawmakers argued that it failed to meet critical criterion of filling gaps inherent in the existing laws it was seeking to amend hence it was thrown out.