NDE and job creation through agriculture, solid minerals

MOSES JOHN in this report analyses how National Directorate of Employment (NDE) plans to create more jobs in 2017 through agricultural and solid minerals sectors of the economy as directed by the Minister of Labour Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) which was established in November 1986, became operational in January 1987. The birth of the directorate was predicated on the effects of the economic recession of the 80s which led to a drastic reduction in capacity utilisation and consequent outright closure of industries in Nigeria.
All other macro-economic policies of the then government, such as the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), devaluation of the Naira, privatisation and commercialisation of the economy among others resulted to massive job losses in both the public and private sectors of the economy.

As a direct response to the rising trend of unemployment, the then military government headed by General Ibrahim B. Babangida, set up a committee headed by Mr. Stephen O. Chukwumah charged with the task of proffering a sustainable interventionist solution to mitigate the rising levels of unemployment in Nigeria.
History may be repeating itself following the directive by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, to the NDE to focus on agriculture and solid mineral sectors to create more jobs for Nigerians due to economic crisis that Nigeria is faced with.
While many businesses have shut down as a result of the crisis, others are struggling to whether the storm. This is why the directive by Ngige, who is also the chairman of the NDE on the need for the directorate to focus its attention on how more jobs can be created in 2017 is a welcome development.

For the minister, since the country is diversifying its economy from the oil, agricultural and solid minerals could be best option for her to get out of the current economic quagmire.
The NDE in carrying out the directives of the minister, acting Director General of directorate, Mr. Kunle Obayan, told Blueprint that it would continue with the vigorous implementation of its four core programmes in 2017 in line with available resources.
The conditional statement may not be unconnected with the poor budgetary release in 2016, which led to non-implementation of some critical job creation initiatives as captured in the budget.
Blueprint can report that out of a total of N1.8 billion capital allocation to the NDE in 2016, only N154,058,346.00 was released leaving a balance of about N1.7 billion.
Some of the projects that could not be accomplished by the directorate in 2016 include: registration of the unemployed in the country, rice production projects through cooperative societies in the six geo-political zones amongst many others.

Speaking on the development, Obayan expressed hope that the 2017 Budget proposal, if promptly and adequately released, would get the country out of recession.
Giving the break-down of the jobs that would be created by the directorate in 2017, the NDE boss said: “Under the Rural Employment Programme (REP), NDE will commission its Agricultural Park in Sabuwa, Katsina state, 300 unemployed youths will be engaged in this project with an expected 4,320 direct jobs multiplier effect.
“720,000 unemployed youths will be engaged by the NDE in agriculture by keying into the CBN initiative of Anchor Borrowers Scheme. So far, 72, 000 co-operatives are already registered under the initiative nationwide.”
Also, the acting DG said as an immediate follow up to the launch of the NDE Smart Farmer Scheme, 7,770 young Nigerian graduates will be engaged for training to function as Smart Farmer agent nationwide.

He said, 11,100 unemployed persons, cutting across all ages and status, will be trained in the rural areas on agribusiness skills, just as 5,550 direct jobs are expected from the initiative.
“Through the re-introduction of the rural Handicraft training scheme, the NDE plans to generate a total of 3,700 jobs nationwide. Subject to available of funds, 1850 persons will receive agribusiness starter packs from the NDE.
“The REP programme will implement collaborative schemes with the Bank of Industry (BOI), Federal Ministry of Agriculture, West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP), Agricultural and Rural Management Training Initiative (ARMTI), Agricultural Graduates Association of Nigeria (AGAN) and the Michigan State University (MSU) to increase the mileage of service delivery,” he said.
Similarly, NDE in collaboration with harvest plus, an international non-profit organisation which specialises in bio-fortification of food for improved nutrition, would soon commence the training of unemployed persons in the processing and packaging of bio-fortified nutritional foods in Nigeria.

He said, the pilot phase of this collaboration is targeted at addressing the malnutrition, infant mortality and maternal mortality in IDPs camps across the country.
Bio-fortified nutritional foods from cassava, beans, maize and Sorghum will be processed and packaged for IDPs, just as new jobs for the practitioners would be created while the challenge of malnutrition among IDPs would also have been dealt with, Obayan said.
Under the Vocational Skill Department (VSD), he said: “The directorate will train 39,220 unskilled and unemployed persons in various skills set in the various schemes of the programme. Provisions for the resettlement of about 45 percent of the number has been captured in the 2017 Appropriation.

“To enhance effective skills delivery at the NDE centres, 68 of the will be rehabilitated while the complete refurbishment and re-tooling of 18 mobile training workshops and 111 mobile training caravans will be carried out. 25 prime movers will be refurbished while some critical tool for use in 19 caravans will be fabricated.”
The acting DG further said, the directorate under Small Scale Enterprise (SSE) would continue with its routine schemes and also introduce the Art and Craft Enterprise Training scheme.
This programme, according to him is designed to stimulate the growth and development of job opportunities within the arts, entertainment and tourism sector.
The NDE boss disclosed that, 18,500 persons would benefit from 10 different schemes under the SSE programme in 2017, even as existing and prospective beneficiaries would continue to enjoy business support and advisory services from the directorate.

He said, under the Special Public Works (SWP) the NDE plans to create jobs in the mining sector, as well as through the routine schemes of the programme, Mining Works Scheme which is in line with efforts at diversifying the Nigerian economy using non-oil initiative alternative.
The NDE in 2017, Obayan would empower graduates and non-graduates with skills that would enable them add value to mining operations, through activities which would involve training artisans in identification, cutting and polishing of gemstones, in order to increase their value, while the graduates would be trained to identify and organise sales outlet for finished products. According to him, beneficiaries would be encouraged to form cooperative groups.

Under the Rural Employment Programme (REP), NDE will commission its Agricultural Park in Sabuwa, Katsina state, 300 unemployed youths will be engaged in this project with an expected 4,320 direct jobs multiplier effect