NDE empowers youths across the federation

Centre promotes 40

From Abuja the nation’s capital to other parts of the country the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has begun the implementation of several programmes on youths empowerment, geared towards skills acquisition and employment generation.

A statement by the Directorate quoted the State Coordinator of the NDE, Nnamdi Asomugha as saying that 50 Graduates are currently undergoing training under the Small-scale programme to be able to identify, create and run micro and small businesses to promote self-employment.

Asomugha hinted that 120 youths are equally going to be trained under the Basic National Open Apprenticeship Scheme of the Directorate. The Coordinator said that another 25 youths are to commence training in landscaping and environmental beautification under the Environmental Beautification Training Scheme (EBTS) of the Special Public Works Department.

Addressing the Graduates at the occasion, Asomugha said the Start-Your-Own-Business Training Scheme for unemployed graduates of tertiary institutions is simultaneously taking place in the 18 states of the six geo-political zones of the federation.

He listed the participating states to included Kano, Kebbi and Zamfara (North West zone), Kwara, Niger and Plateau (North Central zone), Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba (North East zone), Abia, Anambra and Enugu (South East zone), Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers (South South zone) and Ekiti, Ogun and Oyo (South West zone).

He said that the training was developed as part of the effort of the NDE to equip unemployed graduates with professional business management skills that will enable them succeed in their chosen businesses.

His words: “The essence of the training is to encourage graduates to think outside the box and sharpen your skills as an entrepreneur. The test of the quality of your feasibility report would be the speed in which the project assesses fund. If you get funded, then you have taken a step in been an entrepreneur, if not you have to go back and think through your project.

Therefore, whatever effort you put into this training would be evident in the quality of your feasibility report and the successes of your projects.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige has approved the promotion of 40 staff of the National Productivity Centre (NPC).

The Director General of NPC, Kashim Akor, who revealed this in Abuja, said the promotion was approved following the conduct of the 2016 promotion exercise.

The breakdown of the promotion exercise included 12 Senior Management staff and 28 senior officers that were successful in the exercise conducted by the Personnel Management Board of the Centre on the 19th and 21st July, 2016.

Also in Awaka Anambra state capital the Director-General of the NDE, Olakunle Obayan said the concept of SYOB was to ensure that unemployed graduates of tertiary institution be exposed to the benefits of self-reliance through entrepreneurship.

Obayan tasked the youth, especially graduates of tertiary institutions to Endeavour to acquire skills that would help take them away from social ills ravaging the society.

According to him, about 150 youths were being trained under Vocational Skills Development, 120 students drawn from the junior secondary school would be trained in various skills as holiday programme, including bead making, interlocking block molding, manicure and pedicure, catering and satellite installation.

He further said that 50 senior secondary school graduates would receive training under SYOB, adding that 318 beneficiaries received N20,000 each under the Artisan Resettlement and Mentoring Scheme.

He said the purpose of the training was to ensure that the beneficiaries would recognize their individual potentials as well as writing feasible reports that would expose them to funding facilities.

He said, “The training would guide beneficiaries in their choice of business ideas that would instill in them self-confidence in managing their business successfully.

While expressing gratitude to Anambra state Government for partnering with the directorate in executing its mandate, Obayan urged the beneficiaries of the training to maximize the opportunity derived from the program.