FIC Report (Kwara State) – In its efforts to reduce unemployment rate and poverty alleviation in the Country, the Federal Government, through National Directorate of Employment, has recruited 2,285 unemployed persons in Kwara State and 93,731 in the 36 states including the FCT Abuja.
This was made known today by the Director General of NDE, Dr. Silas A. Agara at the flag-off ceremony of “Renewed Hope Employment Initiative” held at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Ilorin, the State Capital.
The initiative, according to the DG, NDE, was designed to engage a total of 93,731 unskilled and unemployed persons across Nigeria.
Represented by the State Co-ordinator. NDE, Kwara State, Kudabo Gabriel Olufemi, the DG said, “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.
“Furthermore, various categories of the unskilled and unemployed have been made provision for within the framework of the programme such as school leavers, school drop-outs, women, graduates of tertiary institutions, retirees and persons with special needs among others.”
Agata further stated that a good number of the beneficiaries will be resettled into productive entrepreneurial lives through the provision of tools, equipment and startup capital while those that would not be able to resettle will be linked with credit granting institutions for further support.
In his remarks, the Chief of Staff to the Kwara State Government, Prof. Mamman Saba Jibril, who was the Guest of Honour, commended the Federal Government and the NDE on the initiative as he charged the beneficiaries not to belittle the opportunity.
He explained that government has done its own part while it is left for the beneficiaries to be serious at the initiative to better their lives.
The participants appreciated the Federal Government and the NDE for the life changing initiative. They promised to use the opportunity judiciously.
Amongst dignitaries at the flag-off ceremony were; the Deputy Head of Centre, FIC Ilorin, Mrs. Aina Y. Blessing; Secretary to the Kwara State Government, Prof. Mamman Saba; representatives of Federal Road Safety Corps, Fire Service Corps and people living with disabilities.
Signed
FADEYI, B. A. (PIO)
FIC Ilorin
