By Juliet Umeh 

QNET, a global lifestyle and wellness-focused direct-selling company, has joined the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment employability training programme to empower Nigerian youth. 

The initiative is part of QNET’s ongoing “Say No!” awareness campaign to combat fake job offers leading to illegal migration across Africa.

The training, held in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, brought together young individuals seeking employment opportunities. The two-day programme featured a curriculum designed to equip participants with essential skills for safely navigating the job market.

At FMLE’s invitation, QNET’s Regional General Manager, Biram Fall, addressed the participants on recognizing and avoiding fraudulent job offers.

He said: “We are proud to partner with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in this critical initiative, as the unemployment rate of 53.4 percent remains alarmingly high. Investing in robust training and continuous education programmes is essential for creating a resilient and competent workforce. By doing so, we are protecting them from financial loss and boosting their employability against scams and fraudulent activities.”

Fall highlighted the challenges QNET faces in Nigeria and other West African countries, where miscreants use the QNET name to lure unsuspecting youth into fake job offers. He outlined the steps the company is taking to combat this through extensive public education programmes.

“We have witnessed first-hand the devastating impact of these criminal activities on young people who have fallen victim to fake job scams being propagated in our name. It is alarming to note how people with ill intentions are able to defraud unsuspecting victims who are just looking for a job to improve their life. 

We’ve realised that the only way to combat this rising menace is through the power of education. That is why this training program by the FMLE is such a powerful platform,” he said. 

The Ministry’s Dedication to Youth Empowerment Senior Labour Officer at FMLE, Miss Augustina Uka, spoke about the Ministry’s dedication to empowering youths: “Our commitment to enhancing the employability of young Nigerians is unwavering. The Ministry has created the National Electronic Labor Exchange (NELEX) project, an innovative electronic platform designed to transform FMLE’s employment exchanges into a robust database of employable manpower in Nigeria to facilitate job exchange and labour mobility. 

“We aim to provide the necessary tools and resources for the Nigerian youth to succeed in the competitive job market. Through our collaboration with QNET, we understand the company and their aim to help people live better lives by educating and empowering youths with the knowledge on how to identify and avoid fake job offers, such as the Say NO! Awareness campaign. 

“FMLE wishes to work closely with QNET moving forward to help deliver on the mandate of the Ministry, which is to create an enabling environment for job creation, leading to increased employment opportunities and economic growth in Nigeria.”

A participant in the training programme, 

Akam Comfort Dufang, shared her experience: “The training programme taught us employability, entrepreneurship, and management skills, and helped us identify available job opportunities in Nigeria. 

“Also, I had heard of QNET before and believed it was a fraudulent company, but through this programme and hearing from a QNET representative about their efforts to combat misinformation, my perspective has changed.”