The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, stated that the federal government’s priority is to speed up the training and empowerment of unemployed youths in digital skills and information technology.
Onyejeocha made this disclosure during the launch of the 93,731 Renewed Hope Employment Initiative at the National Directorate of Employment, held at the Federal Capital Territory Skills Acquisition Centre in Kuduru, Bwari, Abuja, over the weekend.
She described the job initiative as a bold effort to provide decent employment opportunities for the unemployed and unskilled in Nigeria.
She emphasized that the initiative aims to achieve this through skills acquisition training in both traditional and emerging fields.
The minister, represented by the Director of Skills Development and Certification at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Engr. Tiza Shaakaa, commended the NDE for aligning its initiatives with modern work skills and digitization, in line with the evolving world of work.
She said, “I am informed that great care has been taken in designing this programme in order to cater for the needs of diverse unskilled and unemployed persons in Nigeria.
“It is exciting to know that women, persons with special needs and matured persons have been adequately provided for while also ensuring that the youth have been given a pride of place.
“Equally, the number of persons who will benefit from the ICT digital skills training speaks to the fact that the employment creation strategy of NDE is shifting towards the 21st century skills.
“This paradigm shift has the potential to accelerate the training and equipping of the next generation of Nigerians that will drive the emerging concept of the new world of works which thrives significantly on ICT and digital skills and know-how.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, stated that the initiative aims to train approximately 40,000 Nigerians in Information Communication Technology (ICT) and digital skills.
Dingyadi, represented by the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Labour, John Nyamale, stated that the federal government will continue to implement effective policies and provide the necessary funding to create more jobs and empowerment opportunities for Nigerians.
Dingyadi said, “This initiative connects deeply with the aspiration of the current government at the centre, which seeks to provide jobs for Nigerians as a means of addressing our economic challenges.
“Through the instrumentality of skilled acquisition training across several sectors, I was informed that the NDE will be reaching out and touching unemployed person in the next three months
“I admonish the beneficiaries to take maximum advantage of the opportunity the programme offers.”
The initiative was executed in collaboration with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. Of the 93,731 beneficiaries under the supervision of NDE, approximately 3,000 slots have been reserved for individuals with special needs.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Professor NentaweYilwatda, represented by Odii Barry, said that the initiative is part of the current administration’s strategy to lift 10 million Nigerians out of poverty.
“You will agree with me that if 93,731 persons are gainfully employed, productively working, they are out of the poverty level. For that reason, the Ministry has no choice but to continue to collaborate with the NDE in order to get lots of Nigerians out of the poverty level,” Yilwatda stated.
Director General of NDE, Honourable Silas Agara, explained that the 3,000 slots reserved for persons with special needs would be distributed across all states of the federation, including the FCT, with each state receiving 81 slots.
He added that some beneficiaries would be supported in transitioning to productive entrepreneurial lives through the provision of tools, equipment, and start-up capital.
Agara further mentioned that discussions were underway with credit-granting institutions to ensure all beneficiaries of the scheme would be properly settled.
