FIC Report (Ebonyi State) – The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has flagged off the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative meant to engage a total of 93,731 unskilled and unemployed persons across Nigeria.
The Director-General of the NDE, Mr. Silas Agara, disclosed this while reading his address during the flag-off in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
Mr. Agara, who was represented by the NDE State Coordinator, Pastor Don Anaba, said, “It is with the deepest sense of satisfaction that I welcome you all distinguished Nigerians, to the formal flag-off of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative, holding in every state of the federation today as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. I am delighted that you all could find time from your very busy schedules to honour us with your esteemed presence.
When His Excellency President 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. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, 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. 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.
He added 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, a good number of the beneficiaries will be resettled into productive entrepreneurial lives through the provision of tools, equipment and startup capital,” he added.
He noted that those who are not able to resettle will be linked with credit-granting institutions for further support.
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.
He appreciated 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 scheme under this programme.
He equally appreciates 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.
The NDE State Coordinator, Pastor Don Anaba adviced the beneficiaries to take it seriously as the government is serious about it.
Anaba said a total of 1710 persons have been selected for this program from Ebonyi cutting across 171 in Ebonyi State.
The representative of the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Skill Development and Job Creation, Mrs Alobu Seraphina, promised that Ebonyi beneficiaries will do well in the training.
The President of the Association of Artisans in Ebonyi State, Mr Nwebonyi Francis John commended NDE and the Ebonyi State government for the collaboration to empower the people of the State through skills.
Signed
BAKARE LAURETTA
HOC FIC ABAKALIKI
