Nigeria: Federal govt. aims to generate 10 million jobs through national lottery and gaming industry

Nigeria’s Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to utilizing the proceeds generated from the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) towards job creation and educational funding across the nation.

The Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Zephaniah Jisalo, announced that the government targets to generate over 10 million employment opportunities within the lottery and gaming industry.

Jisalo termed the lottery sector as a potent “wealth generator” and assured that the government is committed to enhancing the industry’s operations for the betterment of Nigerian citizens and to augment government revenues, The Nation reported.

“Lottery is a wealth generator. The industry has generated quite a large number of jobs for Nigerians in the last few years, a number that is likely to grow to over 10 million due to the population and size of the Nigerian economy,” he was quoted in the report.

Minister Jisalo was speaking during the ‘Back to School Jump Start Project’ (Phase 2). This initiative was sponsored by Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, in collaboration with the National Lottery Trust Fund.

“The funding of the implementation of the second phase of this program by the National Lottery Trust Fund is meant to build on the successes of the first phase. This has tremendously improved the standard of learning and provided an environment conducive for learning in public schools across Surulere Federal Constituency,” he said.

The program featured Gbajabiamila’s donation of e-learning equipment, including laptops, android tablets, stationeries, and sanitation material to hundreds of pupils of 46 schools in the Surulere Federal Constituency.

Bello Maigari, the Executive Secretary of NLTF, speaking on behalf of the minister, said: “We are doing everything humanly possible to revitalize this industry which holds great promise for Nigeria in raising enormous revenues and creating job opportunities for youths and help actualize President Bola Tinubu-led government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”