In partnership with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) launched the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative, which aims to hire at least 93,731 unskilled and unemployed people nationwide.
When launching the Edo state chapter of the program at the NDE Multi-Purpose Cooperative Hall on Upper Mission Road in Benin City, Mr. Silas Agara, NDE Director-General, stated that the project was the directorate’s modest short-term attempt to curb the problem of unemployment in Nigeria.
“The official flag-off of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative is being held simultaneously in every state of the federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,” stated Mr. Agara, who was represented by Mr. Chibuzo Okoronkwo, the Edo State Coordinator of NDE.
According to him, “When His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) appointed me the Director General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), he charged me with the immediate task of overhauling the Directorate with a view to repositioning it for optimised employment creation.
“Today signposts the first step in the execution of the President’s directives and the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative is our modest short-term effort at checking the scourge of unemployment in Nigeria.”
He said the current employment initiative has been designed to engage a total of 93,731 unskilled and unemployed persons across Nigeria, adding that inclusiveness has been a cardinal consideration as the Directorate designed this programme.
“We have ensured that a minimum of 10 persons from each of the 8,809 electoral wards in Nigeria were recruited to benefit from the 30 skill sets across our four core programmes of Vocational Skills Development, Small Scale Enterprises, Rural Employment Promotion, and Special Public Works,” he stated.
The DG also pointed out that various categories of the unskilled and unemployed have been provided for within the framework of the programme such as school leavers, school dropouts, women, graduates of tertiary institutions, retirees and persons with special needs, among others.
After the training, he also said, a good number of the beneficiaries would be resettled into productive entrepreneurial lives through the provision of tools, equipment and startup capital, assuring that those who are not able to resettle would be linked with credit-granting institutions for further support.
Mr. Agara further declared, “NDE under my watch has ensured the adoption of cutting-edge technology in the design and execution of this programme.” For instance, all applicants registered through our online portal which has enabled us to establish for the first time, a credible database of our beneficiaries.
“In furtherance of the deployment of ICT in our operations, I am delighted to inform you that 40,000 out of the 93,731 persons enrolled in this programme will be receiving training in ICT and digital skills.
“This is a deliberate step by the NDE in order to equip our youths with emerging skills that will enable them become globally competitive. I will like to place on record my gratitude to messers Skill Paddy and Timetrest Limited that are collaborating with us in the provision of ICT and digital skills.
“May I also use this opportunity to sincerely appreciate the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation that is strongly supporting the NDE through the provision of starter packs for some of the beneficiaries across several schemes under this programme,” he added.
The NDE DG also appreciated the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mallam Muhammad Maigeri Dingyadi, the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, and the Supervising Minister of the NDE Barrister Nkeiruka Onyejiocha, for their support.
Mr. Chibuzo Okoronkwo, the Edo State Coordinator of NDE, in his personal capacity adviced the beneficiaries to be very serious with the training as the government is very serious with the programme.
He said the beneficiaries were selected from the 18 local government areas of Edo state.
Dr. Colin Asuelime, a former Edo state coordinator of NDE, also advised the beneficiaries to view the training as a chance to escape poverty for the rest of their lives and stressed the importance of being serious about the program.
Dr. Asuelime, who is now an expert in ICT, urged participants to concentrate on generating jobs and giving others access to work prospects. The former Edo State coordinator of NDE, Mr. Solomon Edobor, who is now retired, also praised the federal government for using the directorate to improve the lives of several Nigerians who had lost all hope of survival.
He claims that the federal government has established millions of jobs through the National Directorate of Employment through a skills-acquisition program, in which many well-to-do Nigerians of today are beneficiaries.
He therefore urged the trainees to see the training as an opportunity to achieve their life time dream for a better life.
Some of the heads of department of NDE also advised participants to be serious with the training, reminding them that their easiest way to be abreast with the training is through punctuality and attendance.
One of the beneficiaries who spoke on behalf of other participants however commended the Federal Government and the management of NDE for initiating the programme, assuring that others will also benefit from the training through the direct beneficiaries who will be ready to extend their training to others outside.
