The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NDE

  • Reps query NDE’s N1.4 billion loans disbursement

    •OHoCSF workers ordered to refund N46.1m

    The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts yesterday queried the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) for the disbursement of N1.4 billion as loans to beneficiaries.

    According to the committee, NDE is to explain disbursement of N1,470,594,611.76 to beneficiaries of its skill acquisition scheme since inception.

    Of the loans given out by the agency since its creation by the President Ibrahim Babangida administration in 1987, the lawmakers found that only N287,952,190.15 has been recovered.

    The committee’s deputy chairman, Ibrahim Baba, questioned the agency’s Director-General, Mr. Nasiru Ladan Mohammed, on the issue.

    He noted that according to the report of the Auditor-General of the Federation to the committee, the agency has seven queries to answer.

    Subsequently, the lawmakers requested for the names and certificates of beneficiaries of the loans scheme.

    The DG, however, told the committee that he was recently appointed to head the agency and that the loan was disbursed by the last administration.

    He added that he had submitted the documents requested by the committee.

    The House committee thereafter adjourned hearing on the issue to July 17, for a continuation of the session.

    Also yesterday, the committee insisted that four staff of the Office of the Head of Civil Service to the Federation (OHoCSF) must refund N46.1 million to the Federation Account within 40 days.

    The committee also instructed the Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office (CSO) in the OHoCSF, Mr. Chaa Chinyeaka, to ensure the payment and furnish the committee with evidence of the refund.

    The four workers – N.A. Ifekoya: B.O. Ajakaiye: I. O. A. Amadi and Etin Emmanuel Gibson – are to make a refund of the advances given them, totaling N46,168,625.00 to the Consolidated Revenue Account .

    The committee added that evidence of the payments must be submitted to the committee secretariat within 40 days.

     

  • DG promises to repostion NDE

    The National Directorate of Employment  (NDE)  Director-General, Dr. Nasiru Ladan, has promised to turn the agency around in line  with global best practices.

    In a statement, the Assistant Director, Information, Lawan Musa, quoted Ladan as saying that under him, the NDE would not limit itself to job creation.

    He said the Directorate would  assist Nigerians who are into small and micro businesses with cutting-edge business skills to enable them expand and generate employment.

    Diligence, it added, would be observed in skills acquisitions and resettlement, as training shall be tailored towards the peculiarities of each state and local government.

    Ladan assured workers of better days ahead. According to him, staff welfare shall be one of the objectives of his administration.

    He urged the workers to be disciplined, loyal and productive.

  • NDE, World Bank train Ekiti job seekers

    NDE, World Bank train Ekiti job seekers

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), in conjunction with the World Bank, has begun the training of job seekers in Ekiti State under the Skills for Job (S4J) initiative to reduce unemployment.
    Four hundred and thirty-seven beneficiaries are undergoing the training, which will last nine months.
    The trainees are expected to work in the private sector for six months of internship/apprenticeship, after the training.
    They are also expected to be paid stipends by the Federal Government through World Bank’s support.
    The project is being executed on the platform of the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) and taking place in six other states – Bauchi, Niger, Cross River, Kwara, Oyo and Kogi.
    NDE State Coordinator Babatope Akinyemi said the scheme was aimed at enhancing Federal Government’s drive towards poverty reduction and creating marketable jobs for youths.
    He said: “This S4J training will result in trained youths who are finding sustainable jobs evidenced by increased earning, either in wage or self-employment.”

  • NDE, World Bank train Ekiti job seekers

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), in conjunction with the World Bank, has begun the training of job seekers in Ekiti State under the Skills for Job (S4J) initiative to reduce unemployment.

    Four hundred and thirty-seven beneficiaries are undergoing the training, which will last nine months.

    The trainees are expected to work in the private sector for six months of internship/apprenticeship, after the training.

    They are also expected to be paid stipends by the Federal Government through World Bank’s support.

    The project is being executed on the platform of the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) and taking place in six other states – Bauchi, Niger, Cross River, Kwara, Oyo and Kogi.

    NDE State Coordinator Babatope Akinyemi said the scheme was aimed at enhancing Federal Government’s drive towards poverty reduction and creating marketable jobs for youths.

    He said: “This S4J training will result in trained youths who are finding sustainable jobs evidenced by increased earning, either in wage or self-employment.”

  • NDE begins online registration of unemployed persons

    NDE begins online registration of unemployed persons

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has begun the online registration of unemployed persons.

    The purpose of the exercise is to develop a database of unemployed persons and provide scientific evidence on the character, nature and trends of unemployment.

    NDE Acting Director-General, Kunle Obayan,  represented by the Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations,Edmund Onwuliri, said in Abuja that the exercise was part of the directorate’s mandate of designing skill sets to suit various types of unemployed persons.

    He said the framework for the online registration, handled by the directorate, has been completed and ready for launch.

    “The online portal, which went live last week, is designed to capture the relevant details of every unemployed person. It will equally serve as a job exchange portal that will link job seekers and employers, he said.”

    He said there was a practical demonstration of the workings of the portal at the NDE stand at the  28th edition of the Enugu International Trade Fair, adding that the portal could be accessed on: www.jobsforall.ng.

    Onwuliri explained that the directorate saw the initiative as a bold step towards deepening the effectiveness of its employment creation strategies and critical input into the process of designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programmes and schemes adding that the online portal would serve as meeting point for job seekers and employers, thereby reducing the cumbersome process of recruitment among employers of skilled labour in the private and public sectors.

    In a related development, the Obayan said the NDE has, over a period of one year, trained 15,343 persons in vocational, agricultural and entrepreneurial skills.

    Speaking  at the  NDE special day  of the Enugu International Trade Fair, Obayan said: “We have reasons to rejoice in the strength of our four core programmes, namely: Vocational Skills Development (VSD), Small Scale Enterprises (SSE), Rural Employment Promotion (REP) and Special Public Works (SPW) Programmes.”

    He said the faithful implementation of the directorate‘s employment creation programmes had, 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 said.

    To further deepen the effectiveness of its employment creation strategies, according to Obayan, the NDE after completing the framework for the online registration of unemployed persons in Nigeria had commenced the actual registration of the unemployed nationwide.

    “I am glad to announce that a work-station is functional at the NDE stand at this fair from where any unemployed person can register. Other Nigerians can avail themselves of this service by logging on to www.jobsforall.ng.

    Obayan said the NDE considered this as a very critical input into its process of designing, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all programmes and schemes.

    “Unemployed Nigerians are expected to register on the portal, which has the capacity to serve a job exchange linking employers and job seekers having fully been hosted,” he said.

  • NDE trains 23,512 in vocational schemes

    NDE trains 23,512 in vocational schemes

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) trained about 23,512 Nigerians in various vocational schemes in 2016, its Acting Director-General, Olakunle Obanya, has said.

    Obanya told newsmen that although the number represented a slight improvement over the 2015 figure,  it was however a far cry from the number of persons trained by the agency in 2013 and 2014, adding that body’s efforts were hampered by poor releases of budgeted capital funds.

    He said due to poor budgetary releases, the Directorate was unable to implement some of the critical job creation initiatives it planned for 2016, such as the registration of the unemployed and the rice production project through cooperative societies in the six geopolitical zones.

    He said out of the N1.8 billion capital allocation to the NDE in 2016, only N154.058million was released, leaving a balance of N1.7 billion thereby affecting the ability of the Directorate to deliver maximally to the nation.

    While expressing optimism that 2017 will be better for the Directorate, Obanya said already, it has secured a collaboration with the Michigan State University in the US, to train about 10,000 graduates with sponsorship from MasterCard.

    He said in the coming year, NDE intend to engage 720,000 unemployed youths in agriculture by keying into the CBN initiative of Anchor Borrowers scheme for which about 72,000 cooperatives have been registered, while another 7,770 young graduates would be trained to function as Smart Farmers agents nationwide.

    Obanya said as part of government’s efforts at diversifying the economy, using non oil initiatives, the NDE will empower graduates and non graduates with skills that will enable them add value to mining operations.

    Activities in mining he said, will include training artisans in the identification, cutting and polishing of gemstones in order to increase their value, while graduates would be trained to identify and organise sales outlets for finished products.

    He said as part of its efforts to enhance effective skills delivery at its various skill centres, 68 of them will be rehabilitated in 2017, while the complete refurbishment and retooling of 18 mobile training workshops and 111 mobile training caravans, will be carried out.

    He said the Directorate intends to train 39,220 unskilled and unemployed persons in various skills under its Vocational Skill Development programme, pointing out that provision of the resettlement of 45 per cent of the number has been captured in the 2017 budget estimate, adding that the directorate plans to replicate its toothpick and pencil factory in the six geopolitical zones of the country with the successful commissioning of the first of its kind in Akure.

  • NDE trained 23,512 in 2016

    NDE trained 23,512 in 2016

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) trained about 23,512 Nigerians in various vocational schemes in 2016 despite the non-release of budgetary allocation by the Federal Government, its Acting Director General, Olakunle Obanya, has said.
    The figure, which is a slight improvement over the 2015 figure, is however a sharp drop from the number of persons trained by the agency in 2013 and 2014.
    The directorate said its efforts were hampered by poor release of budgeted capital funds.
    Addressing reporters on the achievements of the job creation agency, Obanya said due to poor budgetary release, the directorate was unable to implement some of the critical job creation initiatives it planned for 2016.
    They include registration of the unemployed and the beginning of rice production project through cooperative societies in the six geopolitical zones.
    According to him, of the N1.8 billion capital allocation to the NDE in 2016, only N154.058 million was released, leaving a balance of N1.7 billion.
    He added that this affected the ability of the directorate to deliver maximally to the nation.
    Expressing optimism that 2017 will be better, Obanya added that already, the SON has secured a collaboration with the Michigan State University in the United States of America to train about 10,000 graduates with sponsorship from MasterCard.
    He added that in 2017, the NDE intend to engage 720,000 unemployed youths in agriculture by keying into the CBN initiative of Anchor Borrowers scheme for which about 72,000 cooperatives has already been registered.
    Another 7,770 young graduates will be trained to function as Smart Farmers agents nationwide.
    The Acting Director General disclosed that as part of government efforts at diversifying the economy using non-oil initiatives which has made mining an attractive venture, the NDE will empower graduates and non-graduates with skills that will enable them add value to mining operations.
    Activities in mining, he said, will include training artisans in the identification, cutting and polishing of gemstones in order to increase their value, while graduates will be trained to identify and organise sales outlets for finished products.
    Obanya said as part of its efforts to enhance effective skills delivery at its various skill centres, 68 of them will be rehabilitated in 2017, while the complete refurbishment and retooling of 18 mobile training workshops and 111 mobile training caravans will be carried out.

  • NDE trains 600 youths in farming

    No fewer than 600 youths from 12 states are being trained on off-season farming by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE). The training is part of measures towards ensuring food production all year round and to provide employment for unemployed youths.

    The Director of the Rural Employment Programme Department of NDE, Hajiya Hawa Kulu while flagging off the training programme in Minna, the Niger State capital, said the states involved include Niger, Abia, Benue, Kwara, Ondo, Zamfara, Delta, Cross River, Jigawa, Gombe, Ogun and Anambra.

    She said that the training duration will be for three months out of which one month will be used for theoretical tutoring while two months will be used for attachmenmt in designated well established farm centres.

    Kulu said the skills to be taught include marketing, gardening, poultry production, small ruminant production, aquaculture and processing.

    She said the economic recession is taking its toll on the nation, giving rise to high rate of unemployment.

    The Director added that the restriction on the importation of several food items is having effect in the increasing pricing of food shortages pointing out that the shortage and increase of food prices have become a strong catalyst to increase rural agricultural activities.

    The state Coordinator of the National Directorate of Employment, Engineer Abdullahi Mohammed said 50 youths were selected from 12 local government areas of the state.

    He added that after the three months training the youths will be empowered with start-up loans to enable them start up their own businesses.

  • NDE floats ICT-driven agric scheme

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has established an Information Communication Technology (ICT)-driven agriculture scheme to provide job opportunities for unemployed youths.

    NDE Acting Director-General, Kunle Obayan, revealed this in Ado-Ekiti at a training workshop on enhancing the employability of beneficiaries of the Graduate Attachment Programme (GAP) of the agency.

    Obayan described the new programme tagged the “Smart Farmer” scheme as a “cutting edge IT-based interactive information and communication system providing agricultural intelligence, reliable data that is of high quality, timely and cost-effective that results in accurate statistical and demographic information.”

    He said: “The platform has SMART agents on the field that will be on ground in every local government area equipped with smart phones to upload data to the platform.

    “The scheme is designed to provide employment to the unemployed youths, linking sellers and buyers and applying ICT in agriculture thereby adding value to the farmers.”

    Obayan added that the agency was also using School-to-Work scheme to impart vocational skills on students as part of their school curricula to give them self-employment, adding that it has been piloted in selected states of the federation.

  • NDE promises to engage youths for national growth

    NDE promises to engage youths for national growth

    THE National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has said it will not stop providing opportunities for teeming unemployed youths to be meaningfully engaged for national development.

    Speaking at the beginning of a three-month training scheme for about 100 youths in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the NDE Director-General, Mr. Kunle Obayan, said the directorate would continue to impact marketable skills to unemployed beneficiaries under its various programmes.

    Represented by the Osun State Coordinator of the NDE, Mr. Sola Daramola, he disclosed that the100 youths would undergo training in Environmental Beautification Scheme.

    According to him, 45 beneficiaries would be trained under Graduate Attachment Programme, 100 youths would receive training under Graduate Coaching Scheme, 50 youths to be taught Beads and Stringing Work and another 120 beneficiaries to be trained under Artisan Resettlement and Mentoring Scheme.

    Obayan said the training for the youths was to enhance their self-esteem and become self-reliant, adding that the various NDE programmes have remained a saving grace to reduce tension and social unrest among the youths.

    He, therefore, advised the beneficiaries to be dedicated to the training and ensure they make the NDE programmes succeed.