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Tag: NDE

  • NDE trains 120 in Taraba

    NDE trains 120 in Taraba

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Taraba State is training 120 youths in skill acquisition. The participants are being trained in such vocational skills as computer/ICT, barbing, cloth making, hair weaving cum dressing, tailoring and GSM repairs, among others.

    The trainees would be paid N10,000 allowance each at the end of the five-month course called Basic National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (B-NOAS). It began at the weekend.

    Senior Special Adviser on Youth and Sport Development Solomon Elisha declared the training opened at New System Cuisine. He said the state government will build skill acquisition centres for NDE programmes.

    “One of the rescue missions of the Darius Ishaku administration is youth development. But while we do our best to develop you (unemployed youths), you on the other hand must do your best to develop yourself. To be self-reliant, you must be an entrepreneur, and the NDE has given you the opportunity to be trained, empowered and be self-reliant,” he said.

    In attendance at the opening ceremony were two supervisors from the headquarters Abuja: Christopher Bamsida of the Vocational Skill Development (VSD) department and Aminu Mohammed of the Small Scale Enterprise (SSE).

    In the state, the VSD Head of Department (HOD) was represented by Mrs Helen Ngozi Eze, a Job Centre Officer who cautioned the participants against drug abuse.

    Taraba State Coordinator Adirimi Adibisi said the participants would be monitored as the training goes on.

    “Millions of youths are roaming the streets but these ones are here to be trained to be self-reliant with their families. I congratulate them.

    “The federal government agenda is to create jobs for unskilled and unemployed youths through the NDE. We want to train you to do whatever you can do with your hands, for you to become meaningful Nigerians.”

    Mr. Christopher Bamsida of VSE Abuja said the NDE is training only 120 youths in Taraba because the state has no skills acquisition centre.

    He added that the NDE will train 9,360 youths nationwide this year because of budgetary constraint.

    “We are training 360 youths each in Gombe and Adamawa states because these states have three skill centres each. In Taraba, we can’t take more than 120, because there is no skills acquisition centre,” he said.

    There are 74 skills acquisition centres in the country, out of which only 64 are functional.

  • NDE to create decent jobs for Nigerians

    NDE to create decent jobs for Nigerians

    Director-General, National Directorate of Employment, Kunle Obayan has said the agency is already taking advantage of the decent work agenda of the ILO to create jobs for Nigerians.

    Obanya who attended the recently concluded International Labour Conference in Geneva told The Nation that the decent work agenda which was the theme for ILO conference fits perfectly into the mandate of the mandate of the agency.

    He said the primary purpose of establishing the agency was to create jobs and impact skill on Nigerians, teaching them how to create decent jobs that will give them decent wage and be in a position to pay others decent wage.

    Obanya said: “As you know, NDE is the apex agency saddled with the task of creating employment through skill acquisition, job creation and employment generation. NDE has a lot of skills and programmes set up for this purpose. Currently, we have a lot of skills that we generate.

    “We have vocational skills training for a host of unemployed people such as youths and graduates who are currently undergoing training in our 84 skill acquisition programmes across the country.

    “We also have the graduate coaching scheme that will employ graduates in education. We also have a scheme for students who failed the school certificate examination. The scheme is created to salvage our investment in them in education.

    “We also have the community based training scheme where we go into the communities to train the various rural people who are not necessarily educated, but are there languishing.

    “We will bring them up, find out their skill set where they have comparative advantage and train and empower them in other to create micro enterprise in that direction. We also have the commercial farmers project where we go to the rural areas for them to set ill commercial farms in area of poultry, crop production among others.

    We have a partnership with CBN and we will cue into the various programmes of the CBN like the anchor borrower programme for production of rice and its value chain, poultry and its value chain all over the country.

    “We have a lot of schemes that will key into this ILO decent work agenda as well as the promises of the government to the people. We are there as NDE to generate employment through our various schemes. They are numerous and it is a matter of the people taking advantage of these scheme which are there in all the states of the federation.

     

  • NDE unfolds employment scheme

    NDE unfolds employment scheme

    In line with its statutory mandate for mass employment creation through skills acquisition, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), has concluded arrangements for the take-off of several new employment creation schemes, the acting Director-General, Kunle Obayan, has said.

    Obayan said the new employment scheme, tagged: School-To-Work  Scheme, will be pilot tested in one state in each of the six geo-political zones. The states are Anambra, Ondo, Kogi, Cross River, Katsina  and Bauchi.

    Obayan told The Nation,  that the new scheme is targeted at secondary school students in JSS 3 and SS2  in the first instance, adding that the training would be carried out during the forthcoming long vacation period.

    He  said the objective of  the  initiative is to meaningfully engage the students, while on long vacation, with a view to ensuring that they stayed away from anti-social conducts,  stating that the scheme is envisaged to establish the culture of skills acquisition among the young in Nigeria under the regular school system environment, thereby incorporating skills acquisition into the national educational system.

    Obayan said a  total of 150 students would be trained per state, making a total of 900 students nationwide drawn from the six states under the pilot phase of the scheme. He said the students would be motivated through the payment of stipends throughout the two-month duration of the training.

    ”Different kinds of skills shall be provided and the students will be required to choose from the list, depending on the suitability of the skills to the given environment.

    “For instamce, beads stringing, GSM repairs, GSM applications installations, confectioneries, soap/pomade making, barbing/hair dressing, head gear-tying and facial beauty care, manicure and pedicure, satellite dish installation/maintenance, interior decoration, photography and video camera operations, catering,  hat making, agric market gardening, poultry keeping, POP  and interlocking, will be offered, he said.

    He  said NDE has finalised arrangements for the commencement of other new employment creation initiatives under the Rural Employment Promotion Programme (REP).

    On the NDE Agricultural Park, Obayan said it is an all-inclusive agribusiness cluster that is a hub of commercial activities with high employment generation potentials.

    “The park provides a favourable environment for entrepreneurship offering capacity building (training, incubation, mentorship, technical and business support) pre-developed business plans, start-up capital and access to market. The competitive small enterprises have close buying/selling relationships and utilisation of common technologies and facilities for production and value addition,” he said.

    He said that two parks have been established in Sabuwa LGA of Katsina State and Akunnu in Akoko North LGA of Ondo State.

  • NDE empowers 430 after skills training in Niger

    NDE empowers 430 after skills training in Niger

    Four hundred and thirty persons, who received skills training have been empowered by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

    NDE Acting Director-General, Mr. Kunle Obayan made this known at the resettlement of graduates of the Vocational Skills Development (VSD) programme in Minna, the Niger State capital.

    He said the disbursement was in line with the plan to create mass employment for unskilled and unemployed Nigerians by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

    Obayan said the desire of the NDE had always been to empower beneficiaries of its skills training programmes. He, however, lamented that this had been limited by the funds available to the directorate each year.

    He advised unskilled and unemployed young Nigerians to take advantage of the various programmes of the NDE to exit joblessness, assuring that the directorate would not relent in its efforts to assist young Nigerians to access decent jobs.

    The Director-General, New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD), Mr. Abdullahi Abubakar, said the empowerment of over 400 persons across the nation by the NDE was a step towards addressing the developmental challenge the nation was facing.

    He called on the beneficiaries to use what was given to them judiciously and urged the youth to discover their potentials.

    Abubakar said the state government is encouraging youths to go into business ventures as government alone could not provide jobs for all the unemployed youths in the state. He said the state government would roll out its programme for youth empowerment soon.

    The beneficiaries were given equipment for welding, electrical engineering, beads making, shoe making, fridge repair works, among others

  • NDE hailed for complimenting Osun’s youth empowerment

    The Osun State government has hailed the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) for complementing its efforts in empowering the youths for national development.

    Speaking at distribution of working tools worth N2 million to thirty youths from various trades in Osogbo, the state capital, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, said engaging the youths economically must be paramount in any government’s agenda.

    The SSG, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Cabinent Services, Mr. Ademola Akinyemi, maintained that no time could be better for empowering the youth than now that the country was facing a financial tsunami, which he said had started since 2014.

    He said: “In 2013, the financial mess was compounded with an alleged theft of 400,000 barrels of crude oild which later dovetailed into fall in oil price at the international market. The implication of this shortfall in revenue later manifested some signs of weak economy to an extent that President Mohammadu Buhari said that 27 states found it very difficult to pay workers’ salaries.

    “Also, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. David Babachir Lawal, also disclosed that the Federal government borrows an average of N600 billion every month to argument workers’ salaries. It is that bad. But we are fortunate in Osun through the financial ingenuity of our governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. We have been able to cut the salary arrears into two.”

    He advised the youths against looking for white collar jobs, saying paid jobs are increasingly difficult to find.

    The SSG further‎ advised the youths and fresh graduates to take the advantage the opportunity offered them by the NDE and to remain focus and responsible citizens.

    The Acting Director-General of the NDE, Mr. Kunle Obayan, represented by the South West Zonal Director of NDE, Mr. Soares Adegbite, said the plan by the Mohammadu Buhari administration to create mass employment for unskilled and unemployed Nigerians has started.

    He also disclosed that the NDE’s vocational skills training would soon be‎ extended to the remaining 18 states of the federation.

    Earlier, the Coordinator of the NDE in Osun State, Mr. Sola Andrew Daramola, ‎reminded the beneficiaries that these “working tools are provided as soft loans and have three years repayment period after your initial deposit of ten per cent.”

    He enjoined them to ‎pay back the loans in order for the scheme to be sustained and to benefit others.

     

  • NDE empowers 430 youths

    430 persons who received training in various skills have being empowered by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

    The acting Director-General of NDE, Mr. Kunle Obayan disclosed this at the resettlement of graduates of Vocational Skills Development (VSD) programme in Minna.

    He said that the disbursement is in line with the plan to create mass employment opportunities for unskilled and unemployed Nigerians by the President Muhammadu Buhari led government.

    According to Obayan, the desire of the NDE has been to empower all beneficiaries of their skills training programmes lamenting that this has been limited by the funds available to the Directorate each year.

    The acting Director General who was represented by the Director, Small Scales Entreprises Department, Mrs. Henrieetta Achigu advised unskilled and unemployed young Nigerians to take advantage of the various programmes of the NDE in order to exit joblessness while she assured that the Directorate will not relent in its efforts in assiting young Nigerians access decent jobs.

    In his address, the Director General, New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD), Engineer Abdullahi Abubakar said the empowerment of over 400 people across the nation by NDE is a step towards addressing the developmental challenge the nation is facing.

    He called on the beneficiaries to use what is given to them judiciously while urging youths to put more towards discovering themselves and their potentials.

    Abubakar said that the state government is encouraging youths to go into business ventures as the government alone cannot provide jobs for all the unemployed youths in the state adding that the state government will soon roll out its programme for youth empowerment.

    The beneficiaries were given equipments for welding, electrical engineering, beads making, shoe making, fridges amongst others.

  • A lifeline for NDE trainees

    A lifeline for NDE trainees

    Minister of Labour and Productivity Chris Ngige, in his home Anambra State, gave out start-up packs to 250 persons trained by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE). NWANOSIKE ONU reports

    It was a fitting homecoming for Minister of Labour and Productivity Chris Ngige. At the St. Matthew’s Catholic Church Amawbia in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, he was in good company as he gave out start-up tools to over 250 trainees of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

    It was as much a good day for the trainees as it was for the President Muhammadu Buhari administration whose job creation effort seemed to be taking off. It was just as well that it was all happening in Ngige’s home state.

    The venue brimmed with traditional rulers and the clergy as well as other dignitaries.

    It was the resettlement of over 250 persons by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) under the ministry of Labour and Employment manned by Ngige.

    The state governor Chief Willie Obiano sent his Deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke to represent him. The traditional ruler of Awka kingdom, Obi Gibson Nwosu and his colleagues from Ukpo in Dunukofia council, Igwe Dr. Robert Eze and Igwe Elias Nneli of Umueje in Ayamelum council attended the event.

    Ngige presented jobs tools to 30 of the trainee graduates, while over 220 others who had started practicing their skills were given financial lifelines by the federal government.

    The federal government has spent over N137m in empowering the people under the Artisans Resettlement and Mentoring Scheme (ARMS).

    Igwe Nneli advocated for a monitoring committee to be supervising and monitoring beneficiaries’ progress, as according to him, some of them sell off their equipment and squander the money.

    The monarch of Awka, Obi Gibson Nwosu, while commending Ngige for bringing such a thing to Anambra, advised the youths who are seeking admission for medicine and law to think twice as whatever you studied must be appreciated in one way or the other.

    Addressing the beneficiaries and the guests, Governor Obiano said through his deputy Dr. Okeke that the state government has similar schemes through access loans for different businesses, adding that it would increase their Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    He assured that the state government would always partner the federal government in such programmes, adding that the state has arable land which necessitated its focus on agriculture.

    He regretted, however, that the greatest challenge to governments at all levels is what to do with the teeming unemployed youths in the society and taking them away  from criminal activities.

    He added that the introduction of such programmes was the answer to joblessness.

    Ngige, while addressing the people said everybody should rally round President Muhammadu Buhari to right the wrongs of the past administrations.

    “This is a government that came into power in a trying moment, there were no savings from the past regime, we feel for the people, things have gone so bad and we want to use this opportunity to correct the sins of the past,” he said.

    ”Let me reassure all present here today that the plans of the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR to change the face of the entire nation for good is fully on course”

    “Those of us charged with the task of creating jobs for the teeming unemployed in Nigeria have long put on our thinking caps and today’s event is just one of the products of our efforts”

    “In the next two months, the second phase of this exercise would have been carried out and I want to assure you that over 2,800 new businesses would have    been    generated    across   the   country, through   the Resettlement   Scheme   of the   NDE”

    “The scheme   seeks to empower already trained persons in any vocational skill with relevant starter packs to commence a small scale business”

    “The Directorate in the last one month has recruited and placed in training, another 1,850 persons nationwide under the Community-Based Training Scheme (CBTS)”

    ”Ladies and gentlemen, in another two months this number of persons shall be resettled to commence small scale businesses in the rural communities across Nigeria”

    “Similarly, Three Hundred and Seventy (370) newly trained agricultural entrepreneurs under the NDE Commercial Farmers Training Project (CFTP) have received soft loans amounting to N137m Thirty Seven Million Naira to start agro-businesses in each j state of the Federation and the FCT”

    “Ladies and gentlemen I am happy to inform you that this scheme complements the proposed Federal Government programme’ called “Teach Nigeria’’ which will soon take off”

    “In the face of all these laudable efforts and programmes, it is pertinent that all well meaning Nigerians should rally round the Federal Government in its quest to turn around the fortunes of our great nation”

    “I will not end this address without placing on record my gratitude to the Government and good people of Anambra State for the conducive operational environment and support they have provided the NDE to function within” Ngige said.

    The acting Director General, (NDE), Mr. Kunle Obayan, said the initiative was under a fresh scheme called the Artisans Resettlement and Mentoring Scheme (ARMS).

    “The desire of the (NDE) over the years has always been to empower all beneficiaries of our skills training programmes and what is happening here today is that change we desired for,” Obayan said.

     

  • NDE coaches 48 candidates re-enrolling for WASSCE

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Niger State is giving free coaching lessons to students who are re-taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) this year to help them pass in flying colours.

    The Niger State Coordinator, Abdullahi Mohammed, an engineer, said the extra lessons would boost their chances at making the number of credits required to gain admission into the tertiary institution.

    Mohammed said the Directorate was encouraged to conduct the classes due to the 80 per cent success it recorded with the pilot scheme last year.

    He said the intensive training is free, adding that the directorate has skilled hands to ensure the candidates are well taught.

  • NDE to tackle joblessness

    NDE to tackle joblessness

    The Acting Director-General , National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Kunle Obayan, has said steps are being taken to harmonise skills-training centres under the supervision of the NDE to give skill acquisition a direction and enforce of standards.

    At a forum last week, Obayan said the directorate was embarking upon the registration of unemployed persons as well as keying into the government programmes on social protection of vulnerable people.

    He said: “There are discussions under the auspices of the Ministry of Labour and Employment to bring in all skill centres in the country that are owned by government agencies. There is no need for proliferation of the centres because that does not help the overall reduction of unemployment in the country.“

    Obayan said the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, had spoken about putting up a memo to that effect so that it is approved that skill centres come under the supervision of the NDE. He said this would enable the NDE schedule trainings in areas skill centres are located.

    He added that even though this will still not be enough until the NDE can have at least one centre in every local government area.

    “When unemployed persons come to NDE, we direct them to go to the Job Centre where we run checks on the type of unemployment individuals have, determine the barriers to employment and then recommend what they need to do to overcome unemployment challenge,” he said.

    He noted that the NDE now has a set of computers that analyse curriculum vitae, do a carrier matching and profile unemployed persons for a job. It will also do analysis on the skill gap between that job that is most suitable for the individual and then determine a training that is most appropriate for such individual.

    “We know that a jobless person that is in the job market does not want a training that will last long. So, we have short-term training that is a quick fix. In a case that some people fall into the unemployable category, hope is not lost for such persons, as such people could then be considered for conditional cash transfer,” he added.

    Obayan said the NDE had a role to play in the implementation of the conditional cash transfer programme of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. He said the job centre would operate alongside traditional training centres.

    Despite the existence of 74 training centres, the NDE boss said they are not enough considering the number of the unemployed persons in the country, even as he said that the NDE currently has desk officers in each local government area in the country in its bid to extend training to the grassroots.

  • How to combat economic crisis, by NDE

    How to combat economic crisis, by NDE

    The Director-General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Kunle Obayan, has advised unemployed graduates and school leavers to develop interest in entrepreneurship instead of looking for white collar jobs.

    Mr. Obayan gave the advice at the opening ceremony of the National Directorate of Employment Enterprise and Finance Counseling Clinic, in Osogbo, Osun State.

    Represented by Osun State Cordinator, NDE, Mr. Sola Daramola, he said Nigeria had atained a stage for economic diversification.

    According to him, for a nation to grow in the right economic direction, her citizens must develop entrepreneurial skills in small, medium and large enterprises, arguing that any nation found wanting in this regard would definitely remain backward.

    Obayan attributed the current economic challenges to under-utilisation of the nation’s human and material resources and potentials.

    He maintained that government at all levels must improve technologically and practically on their natural capacity and capability to explore and exploit their numerous potentials of entrepreneurship for the country to move out of economic woods.