The Federal Government has unveiled a five-year strategic plan to boost job creation, modernise 87 skills training centres and strengthen employment services across the country.

The plan, covering 2027 to 2031, is also aimed at improving labour-market information, aligning vocational training with industry needs and expanding employment opportunities for young people, women, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

The Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Silas Agara, unveiled the plan in Abuja on Thursday.

He described it as a framework to reposition the agency to respond more effectively to changing labour-market demands.

Agara said the strategy would provide a common direction for the Directorate’s departments, state offices and programme delivery structures, with priorities covering skills development, entrepreneurship, enterprise growth, strategic partnerships and inclusive employment.

“The NDE is not merely unveiling a policy document, but setting out a clear strategic direction for the next five years, reaffirming our institutional purpose and strengthening our commitment to creating employment opportunities, developing skills, promoting entrepreneurship and improving the livelihoods of Nigerians,” he said.

On the agency’s training infrastructure, Agara disclosed that the NDE operated 87 Skills Training Centres, in addition to Agricultural Training Centres and Common Facility Centres, many of which required retooling, upgrading, rehabilitation or complete overhaul.

“We are committed to modernising these facilities and harmonising our training curricula to ensure uniform standards and alignment with industry needs,” he said.

He acknowledged that upgrading the facilities and improving training quality would require sustained support from the Federal Government, development partners and the private sector.

The NDE boss said the Directorate would also strengthen collaboration with employers, improve data-driven decision-making and provide better post-training support to help beneficiaries secure jobs, establish viable businesses and sustain their livelihoods.

He said technological advancement, emerging industries, demographic pressures and changing business models had altered the nature of work, requiring employment programmes that responded to current market demands.

According to him, the strategy would guide resource allocation, performance assessment and programme monitoring, with its priorities integrated into annual work plans and budgets.

“The real test of this plan begins after its launch,” Agara said, calling for clear responsibilities, adequate resources, measurable targets and effective monitoring mechanisms.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, described the plan as an important step towards strengthening the NDE’s contribution to employment creation, skills development and entrepreneurship.

Dingyadi who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Kamil Shoretire, said productive employment went beyond providing income, noting that it promoted economic independence, reduced vulnerability, strengthened families and communities, and contributed to national productivity.

He urged the NDE to translate the strategy into actionable programmes, realistic targets, measurable performance indicators and accountable implementation arrangements.

The minister called on the Directorate to ensure that women, young people, persons with disabilities and other groups facing barriers to economic participation had equitable access to skills development, entrepreneurship support and employment opportunities.

He stressed that the success of the plan should not be measured solely by the number of people trained, but also by how many secured jobs, established viable businesses, improved their incomes and sustained their livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Director of the ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the ECOWAS Liaison Office, Vanessa Phala, said the proposed reforms could improve the connection between job seekers, employers and available economic opportunities.

She highlighted plans to establish a modern Public Employment Service, alongside stronger labour-market information systems and improved institutional capacity.

“The planned establishment of a modern Public Employment Service, enhanced labour-market information systems, and stronger organisational capacities will not only improve service delivery but also enable more responsive, evidence-based support for job seekers, entrepreneurs, and employers alike,” Phala said.

She described the strategy as timely, given technological changes, demographic transitions and evolving skills requirements in Nigeria’s labour market.

Phala added that the plan could support the implementation of the National Employment Policy 2025 and advance efforts to promote productive employment and decent work.