The House of Representatives has approved a bill seeking to prohibit age discrimination against job seekers in Federal Government agencies.

The lawmakers approved the bill during plenary on Wednesday at the lower chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja.

According to the sponsor and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Business, Mr Edward Pwajok, the bill seeks to ensure that no citizen is deprived of employment on the basis of age.

He explained that it seeks to eradicate the age barrier preventing youths from being gainfully employed in government agencies.

The lawmaker decried the situation where competent young men and women have been unable to get a job just because they graduated from university at the age of 25.

“We think that it will be unfair to deny them of the right to being employed only on the ground that because they have kept on applying for work, they will be denied the opportunity of contributing their own quota to national development,” he said.

He, however, stated that the bill exempted the security agencies, including the Nigerian Armed Forces and other paramilitary agencies where there may be requirements for some rigorous physical exercises.

Channels TV