The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has reiterated its commitment to reducing the rate of unemployment and its consequences in Nigeria.
Director-General NDE Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo made this known at the just concluded NDE’s Day at the Kano International Trade Fair.
He assured of the agency’s unrelenting efforts to conquer the menace of unemployment through job creation.
“NDE In the last one year, made significant impact in job creation and employment generation nationwide. Apart from the benefits of the recently concluded Extended Special Public Works (ESPW) programme which has positively affected over 800,000 families nationwide, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has consolidated on this gain by providing a number of exit strategies designed to ensure that the beneficiaries do not relapse into the labour market,” he said.
He further said: “Towards the end of year 2021, the Directorate was in Delta, Plateau and Bauchi States where well over 3000 youths and women groups were empowered and resettled with various starter packs to kick-start their businesses. We were also in Katsina State early this month for a similar exercise where 1000 people were empowered. It is our desire to skill–up the entire country and empower all willing Nigerians to be self-employed.
“It is also worth mentioning that the NDE just recently disbursed One Hundred Thousand Naira per person to 3,996 beneficiaries of Agricultural Enhancement Scheme (AES), Sustainable Agricultural Development Enhancement Scheme (SADES), Graduate Agricultural Enhancement Scheme (GAES) and the Community BasedAgricultural Enhancement Scheme (CBES). This year, we have renewed the loan exercise and it is currently on-going in many states of the Federation in order to bring more youths into commercial agriculture.”
In his key note address, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo(SAN) said: “I am aware that the NDE has trained and empowered thousands of Nigerian Youths and women across the country and produced blue collar jobs.
“I have witnessed various NDE programmes under which young men and women were exposed to entrepreneurial and skill acquisition opportunities designed to equip them with critical skills required to successfully set up and run private enterprises to stimulate the economy.
“Just last month, we were in Katsina State where One Thousand (1000) trained youths and women groups were resettled with various kits to kick-start their businesses. Similar exercise has taken place in Delta, Plateau, Bauchi and few other states. I want to use this medium to assure you that the NDE empowerment exercise will take place nationwide.”
