NDE trains 15,343 unskilled persons in one year

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has trained no fewer than 15,343 in the last one-year in various vocations.Speaking at the just-concluded Enugu International Trade Fair, the immediate past Acting Director General of NDE, Kunle Obayan explained that the trainings were done in vocational, agricultural and entrepreneurial skills as well as activities in the public works sector.

He added that the successful implementation of NDE’s four major programmes that included Vocational Skills Development (VSD), Small Scale Enterprises (SSE), Rural Employment Promotion (REP), and Special Public Works (SPW) provided the platform under which massive trainings modules were delivered.

His words: “The faithful implementations of these employment creation programmes have, to a reasonable extent, reduced the level of despair and disillusionment associated with unemployment in Nigeria. The realities of economic recession and evidences of breakthroughs emanating from self-employment initiatives have reinforced our belief in the efficacy of skills acquisition training, which globally, has demystified the seemingly intractable challenges of unemployment and poverty.”

He stressed that the commencement of online registration of unemployed persons in the country would further deepen the Directorate’s effectiveness of its employment creation strategies.

On the importance of the registration exercise, Obayan explained: “We consider this a very critical input into the process of designing, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all programmes and schemes of the Directorate. Unemployed Nigerians are expected to register on the portal, which has the capacity to serve a job exchange linking employers and jobseekers having fully been hosted.”

He described trade fairs and other exhibitions as major platforms upon which practitioners of micro enterprises gain exposure and enjoy unhindered access to the business world.

“The participation of the NDE in trade fairs over the years has always provided opportunities for the beneficiaries of our programmes to showcase the efforts and commitment of the federal government through the Directorate at self-employment creation,” he said.

While urging Nigerians to patronize made in Nigeria goods and services, Obayan stressed that the only way their businesses can thrive is when they enjoy massive support through patronage, adding: “There is no better time to buy made in Nigeria than now.”