Jobs/Appointments
Nigeria’s Unemployment Rate Hits 4.2% in Q2 2023
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s unemployment rate increased to 4.2 per cent in Q2 2023 from the 4.1 per cent recorded in Q1 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The NBS said this in its Nigeria Labour Force Survey for Q2 2023, released on Thursday.
Recall that the NBS on April 20, 2023, made adjustments to how the labour force figures would be calculated moving forward. The agency adopted global standards as its new method and this crashed the rate from a high of 33.3 per cent released in 2020.
According to the new measures, the unemployment rate is defined as the share of the labour force who are not employed but who are actively searching and available for work.
The bureau said the unemployment rate among youth aged (15-24 years) in Q2 2023 was 7.2 per cent compared to the 6.9 per cent recorded in Q1 2023, adding that the unemployment rate among men was 3.5 per cent and 5.9 per cent among women in Q2 2023.
The unemployment rate in urban areas was 5.9 per cent in Q2 2023, which was an increase from the 5.4 per cent recorded in Q1 2023.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate in rural areas was 2.5 per cent in Q2 2023, which was a decline from the 2.9 per cent recorded in Q1 2023.
In terms of educational attainment, the report said the rate of unemployment among persons with post-secondary education was 8.0 per cent in Q2 2023.
“Those with upper secondary education was 5.4 per cent, while those with lower secondary education was 3.7 per cent, 3.0 per cent for those with primary education and 2.5 per cent for those with no formal education,” it stated.
The NBS also said time-related underemployment in Q2 2023 was 11.8 per cent compared to 12.2 per cent recorded in Q1 2023.
It said time-related underemployment rate was the share of employed people who were working less than 40 hours per week, but who would be willing and available to work more.
The share of employed men that were underemployed was 8.4 per cent while the share of employed women that were underemployed was 15.3 per cent in Q2 2023.
The underemployment rate was 10.3 per cent in urban areas and 13.2 per cent in rural areas.
The NBS said the share of employed persons aged 15 to 24 years that were underemployed was 19.3 per cent.
The report said the combined rate of unemployment and time-related underemployment as a share of the labour force population (LU2) was 15.5 per cent in Q2 2023.
The NBS said the labour force participation rate among the working-age population in Nigeria was 80 per cent in Q2 2023 compared to 79.9 recorded in Q1 2023.
The report said the participation rate among men was 82.1 per cent while for women it was 78.8 per cent. The participation rate was 78.4 per cent in urban areas and 82.6 per cent in rural areas in Q2 2023.
According to the report, the employment-to-population ratio, which was the proportion of the working-age population that was employed was 77.1 per cent in Q2 2023.
The report said the employment-to-population ratio for men and women was 79.3 per cent and 74.9 per cent, respectively.
The employment-to-population ratio in urban areas was 73.8 per cent compared to 80.5 per cent in rural areas in Q2 2023.
The report said 88.0 per cent of employed Nigerians were primarily self-employed with the remaining 12.0 per cent engaged as employees(wage employment) in Q2 2023.
It said 85.2 per cent of employed men were self-employed, while 91.0 per cent of employed women were self-employed.
“While men and women engaged as employees(wage employment) was reported at 14.8 per cent and 9.0 per cent, respectively,” the report showed.
The report said 8.0 per cent of the working-age population were in subsistence agriculture.
The NBS said the informal employment rate in Q2 2023 was 92.7 per cent.
It said in Q2 2023, the percentage of youth (15-24 years) identified as Young Persons Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) was 13.8 per cent.
“This is an increase from the 12.1 per cent and 10.0 per cent recorded in Q4 2022 and Q1 2023, respectively,” the NBS said.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The conclusion of the 2025 Performance Appraisal Exercise of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has resulted in the promotion and step increments of about 1,126 employees of the organisation.
The reward for performance involved the promotion of 547 employees and 579 step increments, reaffirming the company’s unwavering commitment to recognising excellence, rewarding performance and building one of Africa’s most admired workplaces.
AEDC disclosed that these actions reflect its deliberate investment in its people as the energy firm accelerates its transformation into a customer-centric, high-performing electricity distribution company with global standards and Pan-African aspirations.
The promotions and step increments, approved by the management, recognise employees who have demonstrated exceptional commitment, professionalism and outstanding performance in advancing AEDC’s strategic objectives.
However, employees who were not successful in the current appraisal cycle have been urged to remain committed, emphasising that the performance management process is designed to support continuous growth, capability development and future advancement opportunities.
“Our people remain our greatest asset and the foundation upon which AEDC’s future will be built. Today’s announcement is more than a reward for performance; it is a reaffirmation of our belief that excellence should always be recognised, talent should be nurtured and hard work should create opportunities for growth.
“As we continue our transformation journey, we are building an organisation where our employees can develop rewarding careers, realise their full potential and proudly contribute to creating one of Africa’s leading electricity distribution companies,” the chief executive of AEDC, Mr Chijioke Okwuokenye, stated.
He added that AEDC is intentionally creating a workplace where merit, continuous learning, innovation and collaboration drive career progression, while employee wellbeing remains central to its long-term strategy.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian international lawyer and anti-corruption specialist, Mr Ibrahim James Pam, has been appointed Acting Director-General of the World Bank Group’s Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), a key independent accountability body within the institution.
The appointment, approved by the boards of the World Bank Group, will take effect on August 2, 2026.
Mr Pam, who currently serves as Chair of the World Bank Inspection Panel, will oversee the CAO on an interim basis pending the appointment of a substantive Director-General and Vice President of the World Bank Group Independent Accountability Mechanism.
The development was announced in a statement issued by the Head of Communications of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman, Emily Horgan, who said the arrangement was designed to ensure continuity during the organisation’s leadership transition.
“In view of the forthcoming leadership transition at the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), the World Bank Group Boards have designated Ibrahim Pam, Chair of the Inspection Panel, to concurrently serve as acting CAO Director General, effective August 2, 2026,” the statement said.
“Mr Pam will serve in this role until the new World Bank Group Independent Accountability Mechanism Director General/Vice President is appointed.”
The Compliance Advisor Ombudsman is the independent accountability mechanism for projects financed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), both members of the World Bank Group.
Created in 1999, the CAO reports directly to the boards of IFC and MIGA and handles complaints from individuals and communities affected by projects supported by the two institutions, while promoting environmental and social accountability.
Mr Pam, who is married with children and grandchildren, brings extensive experience in international law, anti-corruption, compliance, human rights and criminal investigations to the role.
He is the son of the late Lt. Col. James Pam, a former Adjutant General of the Nigerian Army, and Mrs Ngo Elizabeth Pam, a human rights advocate who served on the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission, popularly known as the Oputa Panel, as well as the Plateau Peace Conference.
Over the years, Mr Pam has built a distinguished international career investigating human rights violations, financial crimes, fraud, institutional misconduct and mass atrocities across several jurisdictions.
He has served as a member of the World Bank Inspection Panel since January 2023. Prior to that, he was Head ad interim of the Independent Redress Mechanism of the Green Climate Fund in Songdo, South Korea, between August 2022 and March 2023, after leading the Fund’s Independent Integrity Unit from November 2016 to November 2022.
His professional experience also includes roles with the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), where he served as Resident Investigator with the UN Mission in South Sudan, the African Development Bank’s Integrity and Anti-Corruption Department, and the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Earlier in his career, he provided legal support to Nigeria’s Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (Oputa Panel) between 2000 and 2002.
A graduate of the University of Jos, Mr Pam began his legal career at J.Y. Pam & Co. before working in private legal practice, the banking sector and later the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
While at the ICPC, he received the prestigious Chevening Scholarship, which enabled him to earn a Master’s degree in International Law and Justice Policy from the London School of Economics in 2005
His appointment is expected to strengthen the World Bank Group’s accountability and oversight framework, given his extensive background in governance, integrity, compliance and international justice.
Jobs/Appointments
UNIZIK Appoints Nicholas Okoye Visiting Senior Lecturer, to Strengthen Digital Assets Education
Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) has appointed veteran investment banker and capital markets expert, Nicholas “Nicky” Okoye, as a Visiting Senior Lecturer in a move aimed at strengthening its capital markets and digital assets curriculum amid the growing global adoption of virtual assets and blockchain-based finance.
The appointment, which takes immediate effect, is expected to deepen the university’s capacity to train enterprise executives, entrepreneurs and policymakers in emerging areas such as cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), tokenisation of real-world assets and other digital financial innovations.
UNIZIK, which hosts one of Africa’s few dedicated Capital Markets faculties, said the appointment aligns with its strategy of equipping students and professionals with the knowledge and practical skills required to navigate the rapidly evolving financial ecosystem.
The university, in its statement, described the appointment as a significant milestone for the institution.
“Securing someone of Nicky Okoye’s calibre is a game-changer. As global finance evolves, we must equip enterprise executives, entrepreneurs and policymakers with the technical knowledge required to build long-term capital formation strategies. His real-world experience is invaluable.”
Okoye brings decades of experience across global and Nigerian financial institutions. His career includes serving as a Financial Consultant at Merrill Lynch in the United States, Chief Strategy Officer at the Nigerian Exchange Group, and Founding Group Executive Director of Operations and Strategy at Transcorp Group Plc, where he led fundraising initiatives that collectively exceeded $1 billion.
He currently leads the Global Investment Advisory Community (GIAC), a coalition of local and international banks, asset managers and fintech firms working to develop a digital assets ecosystem across Africa and the Caribbean.
Beyond the private sector, Okoye has contributed to public policy, providing advisory support to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on capital market regulatory frameworks.
Stakeholders in the financial services sector have welcomed the appointment, expressing optimism that his academic engagement would help build capacity among investors and professionals as Nigeria expands its digital finance ecosystem.
Okoye also holds an honorary Doctor of Business Administration from Enugu State University of Technology, awarded in recognition of his contributions to enterprise development and business excellence.
He previously served on the Presidential Jobs Board and the National Council of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, where he provided strategic advice on economic development. Between 2014 and 2018, he advised the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Project Triple E, an initiative designed to strengthen indigenous participation in the upstream oil and gas value chain by integrating community-based contractors.
The appointment comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to establish a robust regulatory framework for digital assets. The Federal Government recently inaugurated a National Virtual Assets Council to coordinate the oversight and regulation of virtual and digital assets in the country.
The council is chaired by the Central Bank of Nigeria, with support from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Nigeria Revenue Service, as part of broader efforts to promote innovation while ensuring investor protection and financial system stability.
