The Nigerian government has announced new plans to create more employment in the Niger Delta.

The House of Representative's Committee on Civil Society and Donor Agencies (CCSDA) has suggested that the increasing pace of unemployment in the densely populated region must be halted, allafrica.com reported.

The Niger Delta is home to a number of large multi-national oil companies, which have been reprimanded for the failure to embed a culture of corporate social responsibility in the area.

Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, chairman of the CCSDA, explained that a bill will be introduced as a response to the social and employment problems facing the region.

According to the news agency, she said that the government is committed to legislation that protects human rights, fulfils the wishes of residents and makes businesses more responsible.

Earlier this month, the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association began the Self Employment for Nigerian Youths scheme, which aims to increase employment among 16 to 24-year-olds.