NDE to train 360 artisans in basic business skills

Targets two million jobs this year

Plans are underway by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to train 360 artisans and petty traders in basic business under its Small Scale Enterprises (SSE) programme for operators of micro and small-scale enterprises.

Its deputy director, Information and Public Relations, Edmund Onwuliri, quoted the Director General, Ladan Mohammed, as saying that the 360 trainees were drawn from Kaduna, Kebbi, Yobe, Bauchi, Plateau, Nasarawa, Imo, Anambra, Ogun, Lagos, Cross River and Edo states.

Mohammed stated the beneficiaries would participate in basic entrepreneurial skills training to enable them manage their businesses more effectively, adding that this was done with the belief that micro-businesses boost development and growth, which will curb rural-urban migration, reduce poverty and unemployment.

He also disclosed that the NDE plans to create two million jobs this year.while speaking with the Country Director of the German Cooperation Deutsche Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Nigeria, Thomas Kirsch.

He revealed that the new jobs would be created in the agricultural sector and through other demand driven vocational skills-set.According to him, the NDE will reach out to the unemployed and create jobs in the 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja and the 774 local councils.

His words: “NDE will focus on agriculture, essentially on Economic Trees, we have already secured vast lands from some Local Government Areas to enable us engage the youths in modern farming and other micro enterprises to stem the tide of criminality and social vices in the country. We have about 35 hectares of land in Sabuwa, Katsina State and another in Akunnu, Ondo State. We shall introduce the ‘Green Cash for Nigerian Youth.

“Under the scheme, selected youths would be engaged in Date production using improved Date Palm seedlings which require nine to twelve litres of water on daily basis but matures between nine and 12 months. 420 beneficiaries shall be engaged for this purpose from each of the benefitting states. Once people are engaged in productive activities, criminality and social vices will reduce.”

He observed that the collaboration between the NDE and GIZ, which began in 1991, has been beneficial to the NDE.He noted that all the prime movers and caravans for NDE School on Wheels (SOW) were purchased from Germany in the late 1980s. He, therefore, solicited the collaboration of the GIZ in the area of provision of improved seedlings of economic trees such as Date Palm, which the NDE plans to commence its commercial cultivation in the Northern part of Nigeria soon.

Speaking, Country Director, Thomas Kirsch observed that GIZ has been in partnership with Nigeria since 1974 adding: “We have facilitated socio –economic development of many Nigerians in many areas such as agriculture, enterprise start–ups, sports development, IT training and the like. We are assisting private companies to finance their businesses and create jobs.”