FG remains committed to provision of employment opportunities for youths – NDE

The Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, says the Federal Government remains committed to the provision of employment opportunities for Nigerian youths.

Fikpo stated this in Ibadan on Wednesday while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oyo State Government towards promoting employment of youths and women in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the signing of the MoU held at the conference room of the Office of the Head of Service, State Secretariat, Agodi Ibadan.

The D-G signed on behalf of the NDE while the Executive Assistant to Gov. Seyi Makinde on Human Capital Development, Rev. Idowu Ogedengbe, signed on behalf of the state government.

Fikpo said the MoU, which is in the areas of skills training and other empowerment initiative, would aim to create massive and necessary pool of artisans, skilled in needed trades for economic transformation of the state.

He said that the collaboration would also promote social inclusion among the poorest of the poor in the state and the country in general.

He stressed that NDE, which was established in 1986 under the statutory laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, was the leading Federal Government  agency.

The NDE fights mass unemployment through direct intervention in skills training and empowerment programme for youths’ employability”.

According to him, some of the regular programmes of the directorate being implemented in the state include Basic National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (B NOAS);  School-On-Wheels.

“Skills Acquisition Training for Persons with Special Needs; Entrepreneurship Development Programme; Start-Your-Own Business; Woman Employment and Income Generating Activities; Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme and Graduate Attachment Programme.”

The D-G said that Oyo State was among the benefitting states when the directorate decided to establish its own vocational skills acquisition training centres.

“The centres in the state are located at Apanpa and Mapo in Ibadan; Kisi and Onipanu in Ogbomosho.

He declared that NDE management was determined to retool and upgrade the training facilities to meet the quests of youths and women for skills and economic self-reliance.

“In addition to the implementation of its regular programmes, the directorate is consciously aware that the task of meeting the legitimate desire of our youths for decent jobs requires a synergy of collaborative initiatives among relevant stakeholders.

“It is my conviction that the partnership will be a shining example for other state governments across the federation,” he said.

Fikpo thanked Gov. Makinde for the collaboration, saying it was a pointer to his commitment and desire to explore the good avenues for creating decent job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths in the state.

The governor’s representative Ogedengbe said NDE was a critical partner towards creating opportunities for self-employment and employability of the teeming unemployed people by means of appropriate training.

“Over the years, we have had the opportunity to work together with the NDE on some projects, especially under the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO), a World Bank Assisted Project.

“The YESSO project is meant to provide increased opportunity for youth employment and social service delivery and harmonise the implementation of social protection interventions in the country.

“On our part, we have been providing some interventions by recruiting workers into the post-primary teaching and the civil services.

“We have also embarked on the Youth Entrepreneurs in Agribusiness Project that will see about 10,000 young people being trained and empowered to become modern agribusiness entrepreneurs,” he stated.

Ogedengbe, while commending the idea behind the partnership, noted that “we live in a rapidly changing global economy which demands new ideas and skills to remain competitive.

“New technologies, processes and opportunities are being introduced constantly.

“What this means is that the kind of skills and trainings being provided by governments and development agencies must be reflective of the realities in the employment markets and the workplace environments.

“As our nation is developing and catching up with other leading economies in the world, new industries are emerging, thereby leading the way towards creation of new jobs that have not existed before.

“As we commence this partnership, our desire is to rapidly see to the reduction of unemployment among our youths and women, both within the formal and informal segment of our state.

“We must not only focus on skilling and training, but we must also endeavour to provide mentoring and monitoring for those under our various programmes, to ensure that the whole essence and objective of this partnership is achieved.” he stated.

NAN reports that some top management staff from the NDE headquarters and the NDE South-West Zonal Director, Mrs Shafaru Awulat, Oyo State Coordinator, Mrs Olayinka Olayemi and her Lagos State counterpart, Mrs Serena Olayebi-Edward were part of the D-G’s entourage. (NAN)