The Acting Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Edmund Onwuliri, has appealed to the Delta State Government to support the resettlement of beneficiaries trained under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI).

Onwuliri made the appeal during a working visit to Asaba, where he met with officials of the Delta State Government, distributed business starter packs to beneficiaries of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative, and sought greater collaboration to expand employment opportunities across the state.

Speaking during a meeting with the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Kingsley Eze Emu, who represented Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the NDE boss said stronger collaboration between the Directorate and the state government was critical to addressing unemployment through skills acquisition, entrepreneurship development and enterprise creation.

He disclosed that the Directorate trained 891 unemployed persons across Delta State during the first phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative, while 1,067 beneficiaries participated in the second phase, receiving training in vocational skills, agriculture, entrepreneurship and public works.

According to him, although 380 beneficiaries were approved for resettlement under the second phase of the programme, only 33 received business start-up equipment because of inadequate funding.

He urged the state government to intervene by supporting the remaining beneficiaries with starter packs to enable them establish businesses and become self-reliant.

“The vision of the National Directorate of Employment remains job creation for all Nigerians. Through the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative, we are equipping beneficiaries with practical skills and providing starter packs that will enable them establish sustainable businesses and become employers of labour,” Onwuliri said.

He also announced that the third phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative would commence in mid-July 2026 with an upgraded digital registration and management platform integrating the National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) to improve transparency, accountability and payment processes.

The Acting Director-General disclosed that the Directorate, in partnership with Timeterest, had developed a digital application that would enable beneficiaries to market their products and services while allowing the agency to monitor the growth of their businesses.

As part of efforts to institutionalise the partnership, he proposed the establishment of a joint task team between the NDE and the Delta State Government to develop practical strategies for employment generation and youth empowerment.

Responding, the Secretary to the State Government reaffirmed Governor Oborevwori’s commitment to youth empowerment and employment creation, describing the NDE as a strategic partner in the state’s human capital development agenda.

Emu pledged that the Delta State Government would support the resettlement of beneficiaries yet to receive starter packs and requested a comprehensive database containing their names, local government areas, areas of training and year of training to facilitate government intervention.

He also disclosed that the Directorate would be linked with the state’s technical team to strengthen collaboration on employment generation initiatives.

Later, at the Federal Secretariat in Asaba, the NDE distributed business start-up equipment to beneficiaries trained in tailoring, welding and fabrication, computer operations, solar installation, GSM phone repairs, carpentry, catering, electrical installation and landscaping.

Beneficiaries under the soft landscaping programme also received wheelbarrows, utility carts and water pumping machines to support their businesses.

Addressing the beneficiaries, Onwuliri urged them to regard the equipment as seed capital rather than government handouts.

“The starter packs are not merely government assistance. They are seed capital for building viable businesses. Use them responsibly, remain committed to your entrepreneurial goals and continuously strive to innovate and grow,” he said.

Also speaking, Emu said the initiative aligned with the Delta State Government’s commitment to human capital development and economic empowerment.

“We will continue to collaborate with the Federal Government, development partners and the private sector to expand economic opportunities for our people, particularly youths and women who remain central to our development aspirations,” he said.

Earlier, the Director of Vocational Skills Development, Chris Bamsida, urged beneficiaries to make prudent use of the equipment, saying the knowledge, skills and starter packs should serve as the foundation for successful enterprises.

The Delta State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. (Evang.) Princess Pat Ada Ajudua, who delivered a goodwill message, recalled benefiting from an NDE training programme in 1988, describing the agency as a life-changing institution and urging the beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity.

The representative of the Executive Chairman of Oshimili South Local Government Area, Hon. Ezenyili Kelvin Obi, announced that the council had approved the use of its Skills Acquisition Centre by the NDE for future training programmes to promote entrepreneurship at the grassroots.

Executive Secretary of the Delta State Technical and Vocational Education Board, commended the Directorate for equipping unemployed Nigerians with marketable skills and pledged continued collaboration to strengthen technical and vocational education across the state.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Yelloa Esther, a catering trainee, thanked the Federal Government and the NDE for the support, promising that the beneficiaries would use the starter packs to establish sustainable businesses.

Onwuliri concluded the visit with a courtesy call on the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, where he sought the support of the traditional institution for the rollout of the third phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative and the mobilisation of more youths to participate in the programme.

The monarch assured the Directorate of the palace’s continued support for initiatives aimed at promoting vocational training, youth empowerment and employment generation.