Director General National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo has said the Directorate created more than four million direct and indirect jobs in 2022.
Nuhu Fikpo, the DG who made this known at the just concluded Kano International Trade Fair, held in Kano state, said the directorate also trained, empowered and assisted about Four Million One Hundred and Ninety Eight Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fourty Four (4, 198, 744) unemployed Nigerians who are now engaged in direct or indirect jobs between 2021 and 2022.
According to him, the faithful implementation of the four core programmes of the agency had impacted positively on the people of Nigeria and created reliable jobs worthy of celebration.
The core programmes, he disclose, were the Vocational Skills Development (VSD), Small Scale Enterprises (SSE), Rural Employment Promotion (REP) and Special Public works (SPW).
“The realities and evidences of breakthrough emanating from self-employment initiatives have reinforced his believe in the efficacy of skills acquisition training, which globally, has demystify the seemingly intractable challenges of unemployment and poverty.” Fikpo, said.
He further said the NDE participation in trade fairs generally was to provide opportunities for the beneficiaries of various NDE Schemes and Programmes to showcase the efforts and commitments of the federal government through the NDE at self-employment creation.
Speaking on the theme of the Trade Fair which is “Unlocking the Export Opportunities through AFCTA for Nigeria’s Economic Growth and Development”, Minister of State, Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo (SAN)who doubles as the NDE Board Chairman, said the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari, was working round the clock to ensure home grown products were well graded to meet all criteria of international standards in gaining access to the international market.
The minister said government at the centre had been the major force behind the establishment and success of African Continental Free Trade Zone Area (AFCTA) because the government was cognizant of the need for African markets to grow and prosper.
He said: “The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is determined, even in its last lap, to strengthen economic relationship with all other African nations”.
He gave kudos to the NDE for its success in promoting the much needed attitudinal change of Nigerians, especially the youth and women group toward entrepreneurship and skills acquisition as against the usual chase after the elusive white collar jobs.
“Today, our youths are conscious of the fact that paper certificate without marketable skills will result into joblessness and poverty, not only in Nigeria but globally,” he added.
Highlights of the Special Day event included the exchange of gifts and visitation to the NDE Pavilion by the minister, the NDE boss and host of dignitaries at the occasion.
Other dignitaries who graced the occasion included the Chairman, Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), Ahmed Aminu, the Interim Director-General of the Chamber, Aliyu M. Mustapha and a host of others.
How NDE created over 4m jobs in 2022 – Official
