Mr. Sambo launched the Community Service Programme of  SURE-P.

Vice President Namadi Sambo on Tuesday in Abuja said that the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, would employ 320,000 unskilled youths annually.

Mr. Sambo said this known at the inauguration of the Community Service Programme of SURE-P at the State House. He said that those to be employed include women and physically challenged people.

He reiterated Federal Government’s determination to partner with other tiers of government and the private sector, to address the increasing level of youth unemployment.

“The Community Services Programme which we are here to fast-track today is designed to employ 320,000 of our unskilled youth, women and citizens with physical challenges, annually.

“This programme and the graduate internship programme are part of the benefits of the partial subsidy removal under SURE-P.

“The present effort under the SURE-P, therefore, builds partnership between the tiers of government on the one hand and across sectors on the other.”

Mr. Sambo said it is imperative for Nigerians to appreciate that no one tier of government could adequately and effectively address unemployment hence the need to build stronger partnerships.

He said that 50,000 graduates are being trained by private companies under the Federal Government Graduate Internship Programme.

The vice president said President Goodluck Jonathan had approved that the concerned companies be granted incentives through tax breaks and other mechanisms if they retained the graduates after their internship programme.

He noted that an Inter-Ministerial Committee had been set up to guide the implementation of the community Services.

Mr. Sambo said the committee would also guide women and youth employment component as well as strengthen linkages between sectors and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies at the federal level.

He said that state Implementation committees had been established in each state and the Federal Capital Territory, to guide the implementation at the state level.

Mr. Sambo said that the state committees would also serve as platforms for strengthening partnerships with states and local governments on employment creation.

He said the committees would involve community participation, civil society organisations, and Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies “as may be required from time to time”.

Mr. Sambo said government will not tolerate any act of wrong doing or corruption in the programme.

“This administration remains committed to delivering the dividends of the partial subsidy removal to the Nigerian people, and I urge that you take appropriate and urgent steps towards meeting the targets set for the year 2012 deliverables for women and youth employment as defined for this project,” he said.

In his remark, Chairman of SURE-P, Christopher Kolade expressed the hope that thousands of youth and women would be trained and gainfully employed under the Community Service Programme of the SURE-P Scheme.