The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Directorate of Employment (NDE)

  • NDE trains 100 youths in five skills in Zamfara

    NDE trains 100 youths in five skills in Zamfara

    The National Directorate of Employment ( NDE ) on Monday said it had started training 100 youths in five vocational skills in Zamfara State.

    The skills are Phone repairs, Computer appreciation, Confectionery, Knitting as well as Tie and dye.

    The state NDE Coordinator, Mr Alhassan Muhammad, in Gusa said that the training was under the Basic National Open Apprenticeship Scheme ( B-NOAS ).

    He said that the scheme was initiated by NDE as part of its measure to provide more employment opportunities to youths.

    He said that the trainees comprised of 50 male and 50 female drawn from 14 Local Government areas of the state.

    “We have employed five trainers who are training the participants and both trainers and trainees will be paid allowances at the end of the month.

    “The period of training is three months, it has already started last week and it would end in December,” he said.

    According to Alhassan, the B-NOAS scheme is under the Vocational Skills Development Programme (VSD), one of the core programmes of the NDE.

    He said that the NDE Headquarters had directed each of the 36 states to train youths under the B-NOAS-Scheme which was targeted to train 4,820 youths across the country.

    Alhassan advised participants to be committed to all sections of the training, saying that the directorate would ensure regular monitoring during the exercise.

    He warned that the directorate would not tolerate any act of indiscipline from participants.

    The Zamfara state coordinator appealed to stakeholders to continue to cooperate with the NDE to provide employment opportunities to youths.

    NAN

  • NDE to boost employment generation with economic tree plantation

    NDE to boost employment generation with economic tree plantation

    As part of efforts at boosting employment generation in the country, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) is to create a new scheme under its Rural Employment Promotion programmes with specific attention on economic trees such as palm trees and date palm.

    Director General of the agency, Dr. Nasiru Mohammed Ladan Argungu who disclosed this in Abuja said as part of plans to launch the programmes called “Green Cash for Nigerian Youth”, Plans are in top gear to secure at about one million high yield seedlings of both Date and Oil palms to kick start the project.

    He said while selected youths in the South-South and South-West will concentrate on Oil Palm plantation, selected youths in the north will concentrate on date palm plantation.

    He said that the NDE is to collaborate with the Centre for Scientific and Technical Research on Arid Regions (CSTRAR) in Biskra, Algeria on its Date Palm Plantation initiative, adding that the collaboration is being facilitated by the Federal Government of Nigeria through her embassy in Algiers, Algeria.

    He said the NDE contingent is expected to visit Algiers soon to consummate the collaboration and visit some poverty alleviation agencies in order to exchange ideas on employment generation and poverty alleviation.

    He disclosed that the NDE has concluded Arrangement with the Nigeria Institute of Oil Palm Research in Edo state for a monthly release of 50,000 seedlings of high yielding palm tree to fast track and maintain the continuity of the project.

    The NDE Director General expressed optimism that the efforts will further encourage jobless youths especially university graduates to migrate and advance their status from motor cycle riders to gainful farming.

    Dr. Ladan said that NDE has already secured vast hectares of land from some local government areas to enable them engage some youths in modern farming, saying “we have about 35 hectares of land in Sabuwa, Katsina state and another in Akunnu in Ondo state. We are asking for more land from the local government areas’’.

    According to him, “selected youths will be engaged in Date production using improved Date Palm seedlings which require nine to twelve litres of water on daily basis but matured between nine and twelve months.”

    “Under the proposed Green Cash for Nigerian Youth (GCNY) Scheme, 420 beneficiaries will be engaged from each of the benefiting states with N10, 000 as monthly stipend for each of the participants. The initiative will create a boost in cash crop production experience for Nigeria and also stem the tide of criminality among the youth.

    “Palm Tree plantation is one of the most useful plantations in the world. Palm Tree in its entirety is highly useful having no waste product. From the Fruits to the Palm Frond, everything is beneficial to humanity. Date as a fruit has remained a delicacy to the Muslim world particularly the North Africans. The use of Red Oil has been in practice all over the world for many centuries.

    “Almost the entire economy of countries such as Malaysia depends on Palm Oil Plantation and exportation, making the country one of the biggest player in the Palm Oil industry.

    “Why are the Nigerian Farmers shying away from this goldmine? The main reason most farmers in Nigeria shun Palm tree plantation is because they believe Palm Tree takes so many years to mature to the point of harvest; an average farmer is not ready to wait.

    “There are varieties of Palm Trees that start producing just before two years after planting. In the period of waiting, NDE will continuously pay stipends to the beneficiaries. We shall also supply fertilizers to speed up effective growth. At full maturity, the government will share the plantation with the beneficiaries on a 70/30 percent ratio’’.

    He explained further that the directorate has continued to design and implement programmes and schemes aimed at reducing unemployment in the country, adding that presently, over 2000 trained participants of the NDE are currently being granted loan ranging from N50, 000 to N500, 000 naira depending on the size of Enterprise of each beneficiary in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, Abuja.

    Dr. Mohammed Ladan said that the giant stride of the government in rice farming which has resulted in the fall of rice Import from 1.2 million metric tonnes in 2014 to only 58 tons in 2016 is a pointer to the fact that Agriculture has the potential to lead the way for economic recovery that the nation desperately need.

    According to him, agriculture has been tested as reliable machinery for effective economic diversification and has therefore been given priority attention in the policy thrust of present administration.

  • NDE trains 150 unemployed youths in Nasarawa

    NDE trains 150 unemployed youths in Nasarawa

    The National Directorate of Employment ( NDE ) says it has commenced three months free intensive training of 150 unemployed youths on vocational skills in Nasarawa State.

    Alhaji Dauda Idris-Wase, the NDE Coordinator in the state made the disclosure at an orientation course organised for the beneficiaries on Tuesday in Lafia.

    He said that the training was to equip the youths with skills that would make them employers of labour and contribute to the overall development of the country.

    According to him, participants will undergo three months intensive training in computer appreciation, G.S.M. repairs, tie and dye, beads stringing and event management, among others.

    “The orientation course is being organized to sensitize the participants on what the training entails and what is expected of them during the training

    “The training will run concurrently in the NDE three skills acquisition training centres situated in Lafia, Keffi and Mama.

    “The Director-General of the NDE, Dr. Nasir Argungu is very keen in seeing unemployed youths become useful to the society through proper skills acquisition.

    “It is better for government to teach one how to catch a fish than to give one fish to eat.

    “We are calling on unemployed youths not to depend on white collar jobs but embrace Federal Government’s skills acquisition programmes in order to become self-reliant,” he said.

    Idris-Wase advised the beneficiaries to take the training seriously as a stepping stone to establishing their own businesses.

    Mallam Usman, who spoke on behalf of the participants, lauded the NDE for the gesture and promised that they would be of good conduct throughout the training.

    The participants were selected from the three senatorial districts of the state.

    NAN

  • NDE to empower 1,800 youths on active small scale entrepreneurship

    NDE to empower 1,800 youths on active small scale entrepreneurship

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) says it will empower 1,800 youths nationwide to engage in active business entrepreneurship.

    The Director General of NDE, Dr Nasiru Argungu, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Sokoto, that the scheme tagged “50 under 30s’’, would stimulate businesses and ensure economic growth.

    Argungu said 50 youths would be selected from each of the 36 states to undergo training in different businesses.

    He added that at the end of the training, the participants would receive working tools and access to Central Bank of Nigeria and Bank of Industry for funding to set up businesses.

    The director general assured that the NDE would continue to serve as the bedrock of achieving government agenda in job creation and revival of the economy.

    He disclosed that the directorate has vast facilities and platforms to empower the youth with vital skills to be self reliant and contribute meaningfully to national economy.

    According to him, NDE has offices in 691 local government areas across the country with 74 skill acquisition training centres.

    He explained that the directorate has cut down on the occupational training offered at the centres from 80 to 10 in order to have more concentration and build expertise.

    According to him, the directorate is partnering relevant government agencies for effective execution of its mandate.

    He said that the NDE was being streamlined for efficiency and effectiveness.

    “Programmes of providing more employments are designed for targeted population through maximum usage of NDE structures strictly supervised by the headquarters.

    “The 30 years of NDE establishment has produced experienced workforce that needed to be encouraged for maximum effectiveness and training of younger ones that would sustain future challenges.

    “In this respect, the management has made it imperative to train and re-train NDE personnel to acquire appropriate skills, knowledge and right attitude to enhance productivity and efficiency to meet the special needs of the directorate’s operations,’’ the director general added.

    According to him, training is a critical incentive and motivation for employees, as it helps sharpen their skills for efficient performance.

    NAN reports that the NDE is holding a three-day retreat in Sokoto for its management staff.

    The retreat has as its theme: ‘Repositioning the NDE for Operational Excellence through Effective Leadership and Team Building.’

  • Edo to curb human trafficking through job creation

    Edo to curb human trafficking through job creation

    Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state has said that the state government was planning to end incidences of human trafficking in the state through job creation, saying it was unfortunate that one out of every five trafficked persons were from the state.

    Speaking when he visited the headquarters of National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Abuja, Gov. Obaseki said the state will collaborate with the NDE to create jobs for the unemployed in the state through skill acquisition and training.

    Deputy Director, Information & Public Relations of the Directorate, Edmund Onwuliri said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja that the governor was full of praises for the efforts of the NDE towards job creation and skills development for the unemployed in the country.

    While extolling the potentials and achievements of the NDE over the years, the governor said the state government decided to collaborate with the agency because “we realise you have government mandate to create jobs, you have veritable job programmes, you also have Skills Centres to drive Vocational Trainings.

    “We are also looking into the direction of agriculture, we want our people to be trained in Poultry farming, animal rearing, fishery and even food processing. Today, we cannot talk about entrepreneurship training in agriculture without considering technology. We are convinced that NDE has done a lot in these areas. It makes a lot of sense coming to you’’.

    The governor said it was unfortunate that one out of every five people involved in human trafficking is an Edo Indigene, adding that “the problem of human trafficking will be fully addressed by his administration through the provision jobs and raise the literacy level of our people through massive enlightenment.”

    Governor Obaseki further said that the problem of human trafficking is highly related to unemployment, adding that many youths are lured into prostitution in foreign lands because of lack of decent jobs in the country.

    The Governor observed that the problem militating against socio-economic development in Nigeria is not the lack of money and resources, but wastages emanating from duplication of functions, facilities and efforts.

    He added that the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has enough structures nationwide to address the problem of unemployment in any state of the federation, stressing that the “NDE has the resources, tested job programmes, good ideas and people to drive our mission’’.

    Speaking while receiving the governor, Director-General of the NDE  Dr. Nasir Ladan Mohammed, described Governor Obaseki as a very intelligent technocrat with great passion for youth employment.

    Ladan who briefed the governor on the potentials, programmes, activities, achievements and new employment initiatives of the NDE towards creating employment opportunities for the unemployed in Nigeria said that with the spread and experience of the NDE, it has become a force in Nigeria as far as job creation is concerned.

    He described the unemployment situation in the country as worrisome and said the challenge should not be left to the Federal Government alond, adding that inter- governmental and agency collaborations is one of the ways to effectively combat unemployment in the country.

    He decried the unfortunate situation where thousands of young Nigerians have lost their lives in the Sahara desert and Mediterranean Sea while trying to cross to Europe in search of jobs, adding that the NDE will soon launch a robust and formidable website which will help in generating data for the unemployed and also serve as intervention tool for labour export.

    According to him, the concept will be modelled after those of the Philippines and Bangladesh where labour exchange and diaspora in-flows contribute significantly to the economy. ‘

    He said “Nigerians will travel if they wish but it shall be with dignity because there will be governmental interactions, this will also go a long way to checkmate the menace of human trafficking’’.

    He said the Edo State office of the NDE will be directed to work out a proper framework for an effective collaboration with the State Government in employment creation.

     

     

  • NDE partners firm to setup tricycle assemblage plant

    The Abuja Branch Manager, Simba Group, Ravil Bajaj ‎has said the firm will establish tricycle assemblage plant in the country next year.‎

    Bajaj said this yesterday at the launch of TVS Deluxe in Abuja, adding that the Group was already in partnership with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to empower unemployed youths.
    He noted that the firm had commenced talks ‎with the Federal Ministry of Trade and Industries to facilitate the production process. 
    Bajaj said: “We are actually working very seriously to setup our assemblage plant next year so that we can have more Nigerians empowered through the factory. That is the next phase and we are already in talk with some state governments and we are getting lots of interet.”
    Describing the ‎new product as such that is protected from behind against possible hit by vehicles, he noted that it is more secured especially to protect passengers.
    ‎Earlier, NDE Director of Procurement, Mr. Adegbite Adebayo said the Directorate is interested and always willing to partner with the firm and other corporate organisations tha‎t creates jobs.
    Adebayo said aside from helping to market to product as a viable means of creating jobs, the partnership would be extended to local manufacturing.
    “All over the world, the fulcrum of employment generation is always when products are manufactured locally. Yes, It is at the stage of assembling but over time, it will create opportunity for manufacturing and technology transfer,”‎ Adebayo said.
    He added that manufacturing of engines, other components are potential areas entrepreneurs could take advantage.
    According to him, the NDE is considering other ‎areas of partnership for the purpose of engaging te unemployed.
    “From assemblage, we can go ‎into manufacturing and then lead to more job creation,” he added.
  • Religious leader advocates return to farm settlements to boost food production

    Religious leader advocates return to farm settlements to boost food production

    The newly-turbaned Chief Imam of Aiyepe Ijebu, Ogun, Alhaji Safihiyu Awosanya, on Sunday advocated a return to farm settlements by Nigerians to boost food production and stave off famine.

    Awosanya said this after he was turbaned as the new Chief Imam of Aiyepe.

    He said the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) started the scheme some years back but it failed due to lack of continuity.

    Awosanya said the three tiers of governments should provide modern social amenities at various established farm settlements.

    These will lure our youths to key-in into the programme and for its sustainability, he said.

    He said that they would be able to produce enough food stuffs that would last the country throughout the year while the excesses would be exported to foreign countries.

    Through it, Nigeria would earn foreign revenue and shore-up its GDP, he said.

    “The white-collar jobs are not there again. This is the reason why people must return to agriculture, “Awosanya said.

    Awosanya advised the youths to also learn different vocational skills in addition to the knowledge they had already acquired.

    According to him, this will be one of the very crucial measures through which the government can adopt to tackle unemployment.

    “We must train the youth invocations; how to use their brains and hands for their own survivals.’’

    The Chairman, Aiyepe Ijebu Muslim Community, Alhaji Musibau Oyefeso, also advised parents and guardians to allow their children and wards to acquire both western and Islamic education.

    Oyefeso said, “Allah has destined that Alhaji Awosanya will, one day, be-turbaned as the Chief Imam of Aiyepe Ijebu. That is what has manifested itself today.

    “I, therefore, call on all the members of the Muslim community in Aiyepe Ijebu to cooperate with the new chief imam in the discharge of his duty,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Awosanya was born 53 years ago in Aba Quarters, Aiyepe Ijebu in Odogbolu Local Government, Ogun.

    Awosanya, a graduate of Animal Science from the University of Ibadan, joined the NDE as a project officer in October 1987.

  • NDE, World Bank begin training of 227 youths on entrepreneurial skills

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in collaboration with the World Bank, has begun the training of 227 unemployed youths in Cross River under the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO).

    Mr Kunle Obayan, the NDE Director-General, said in Calabar that the programme was designed to empower youths with skills that would help them compete favourably in the labour market.

    Represented by Mr Mfam Eyahanjom, an official from the Directorate, Obayan said that the youths would undergo training on ‘Life Skill Training, Sector Specific Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Skills Training’.

    He explained that after the three months training, the directorate would deploy the beneficiaries to competent private sector operators for a six-month internship/apprenticeship training.

    Obayan said that 6,878 youths were selected from the seven participating states of Bauchi, Niger, Cross River, Kwara, Oyo, Ekiti and Kogi.

    He said that the directorate had verified 4,721 beneficiaries while 227 youths were selected for the training in Cross River.

    “Throughout the nine-months training period, the Federal Government, through the World Bank support, would ensure prompt payment of monthly stipends to beneficiaries who will receive skills training of their choice at no cost,” he said.

    Also speaking, Mr Edem Duke, the NDE Coordinator in Cross River, said that the collaboration with the World Bank was in line with the Directorate’s commitment to poverty reduction.

    Duke said that the training programme would help unemployed youths to access opportunities to become entrepreneurs and job creators.

    “This training is designed to enable trainees to find sustainable jobs, boost institutional capacity building and public private sector partnership.”

    He charged the beneficiaries to show commitment and make proper use of the rare opportunity to chart a new direction for a better future.

    Prof. Ngozi Onyekwe, the World Bank representative, said it was a major milestone for the bank to partner with NDE in the area of unemployment reduction in Nigeria.

    Meanwhile, Mr Balinwo Ofegobi, the Cross River Coordinator of YESSO, said his office was saddled with the responsibility of providing temporary employment opportunities to unskilled and semi-skilled youths.

    One of the beneficiaries, Ms. Doris Ben, thanked NDE and the World Bank for designing the programme which is aimed at equipping them with skills to become self-employed.

     

  • NDE to empower 1,232 youths in Niger

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Niger says it has concluded arrangements to train 1,232 youths in the state under its Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO).

    Mr Abdullahi Mohammed, the NDE Coordinator in the state, made this known in Minna on Friday while briefing newsmen on the activities of the directorate.

    Mohammed said that the training would be done through the Skills for Job programme, one of the components of YESSO.

    “We have finalised plans to train 1, 232 youths from Chanchaga and Bida Local Government Areas of Niger state for nine month under the skills for job,’’ he said.

    He said that the training would focus on life skills acquisition, vocational/sector specific/technical skills, entrepreneurship skills, internship and apprenticeship.

    The coordinator said that the directorate would be collaborating with a private organisation to give adequate orientation to selected beneficiaries.

    Mohammed said that the orientation courses would expose participants to the overview of YESSO and Skills for Job; project obligations of the trainees and trainees’ expectations.

    According to him, other orientation courses include general safety measures in the workshop and personal behaviours.

    Mohammed said that the orientation courses for participants from Chanchaga would run from March 20 to March 21 at the UK Bello Arts Theatre, Minna.

    “Participants from Bida would, however, assemble at the Bida Town Hall from March 23 to March 24 for the same purpose.

    “Training will commence immediately after the orientation programmes,” he said.

  • NDE boss advocates use of ICT, social media to attract youths to agriculture

    NDE boss advocates use of ICT, social media to attract youths to agriculture

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), has advocated the use of ICT and social media to attract youths to agriculture.

    Mr Kunle Obayan, the Director-General, Represented by Mr Cyril Effiong, the Director of South-South Zone of NDE, made the call in Ilorin on Wednesday at a forum on agriculture.

    The NDE Director-General said it was imperative to use the social media in portraying agriculture as an attractive profession to the youth.

    He said that the farming in Nigeria was in a disadvantaged position with increasing ageing farmers and without a large proportion of youths embracing it.

    Obayan said the social media platform could engage Nigerian youths in agriculture via the internet and its social media such as Facebook page, Twitter and YouTube.

    According to him, the power of ICT and social media can lure young people into agricultural activities.

    He said that youths could lap on ICT platforms and mobile apps to enhance agricultural development along the value chain.

    He said that this could trigger the establishment of a platform where the youth could share, discuss and inspire each other in farming.

    Obayan said the youth could be engaged in agriculture if they were encouraged,  recognised and inspired.

    He said that agriculture is now a modern profession with mechanised machines for tilling the land, planting, spraying and harvesting of crops.