Craneburg Vows Job Security for Ekiti Workers as Government Tightens Local Employment Drive

Mr. Olalekan Ijidale and Fouad G. Boulos.

Craneburg Construction Company Limited has promised that Ekiti indigenes working on the state’s multibillion-naira ring-road project will not lose their jobs once construction ends. The company assured that workers would instead be redeployed to other sites across the country, a move that strengthens the state government’s push to protect local employment

The commitment came during a visit to Craneburg’s Lagos headquarters by the Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Local Content, Mr. Olalekan Ijidale. He was received by the company’s Head of Procurement, Fouad G. Boulos.

Mr. Ijidale praised the firm for adhering to the state’s strict local content law, which compels contractors to hire indigenes and retain project value within Ekiti. He stressed that the policy had curbed capital flight while ensuring that taxpayers directly benefit from public spending.

“Every kobo that funds these projects comes from our people’s taxes. It is only fair they see the returns through jobs and skills,” Ijidale said. “When companies hire locally, families eat, young people gain dignity in work, and the local economy expands. That is what local content is about.”

Ekiti remains the only state in Nigeria with a Bureau of Local Content, a move the government insists has delivered measurable socio-economic impact by creating jobs and strengthening households. Ijidale said Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration would continue to institutionalise the policy to safeguard livelihoods.

Responding, Boulos reaffirmed Craneburg’s pledge, noting that Ekiti workers had become an integral part of the company’s operations. He said the firm would redeploy them to other projects after the ring-road contract winds down, and would notify the Bureau of Local Content of any new vacancies suitable for indigenes.

Both sides agreed to sustain close communication to guarantee smooth redeployment and track compliance with the state’s local content framework.

With Ekiti’s ambitious ring-road project set to reshape regional trade and transport, the assurance from Craneburg offers relief for workers worried about post-construction layoffs and reinforces the government’s campaign to keep jobs in local hands.