The Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mallam Abubkar Nuhu Fikpo, said that that the Directorate has trained, empowered and assisted about 4,198, 744 unemployed Nigerians who are now engaged direct or indirect jobs between late 2021 and 2022.
He stated that the relentless efforts of the Directorate to work in tandem with President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to creating job opportunities for Nigeria’s teeming unemployed persons, are yielding results.
Mallam Fikpo said this at NDE’s Special Day during the recently held Kano International Trade Fair.
According to him, the core programmes are the Vocational Skills Development (VSD), Small Scale Enterprises (SSE), Rural Employment Promotion (REP) and Special Public works (SPW).
“The realities and evidence of breakthrough emanating from self-employment initiatives have reinforced his believe in the efficacy of skills acquisition training, which globally, has demystified the seemingly intractable challenges of unemployment and poverty,” he said.
Mallam Fikpo went on to say that NDE’s participation in trade fairs generally is to provide opportunities for the beneficiaries of various NDE schemes and programmes to showcase the efforts and commitments of the Federal Government through the NDE at self-employment creation.
Speaking on the theme of the Trade Fair, “Unlocking the Export Opportunities through AFCTA for Nigeria’s Economic Growth and Development,” the Minister of State, Labour and Employment who doubles the position of Board Chairman of NDE and its supervisory Minister, Festus Keyamo, in his keynote address said the Federal Government, under President Muhammadu Buhari, is working round the clock to ensure that home-grown products are well graded to meet all criteria of international standards in gaining access to the international market.
He gave kudos to the NDE for its success in promoting the much needed attitudinal change of Nigerians, especially the youth and women group, toward entrepreneurship and skills acquisition as against the usual chase after the elusive white collar jobs.
“Today, our youths are conscious of the fact that paper certificate without marketable skills will result into joblessness and poverty, not only in Nigeria but globally.”
Other dignitaries who graced the occasion included the Chairman, Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), Ahmed Aminu, the Interim Director-General of the Chamber, Aliyu M. Mustapha, among others.
, Mallam Abubkar Nuhu Fikpo, said that that the Directorate has trained, empowered and assisted about 4,198, 744 unemployed Nigerians who are now engaged direct or indirect jobs between late 2021 and 2022){kind=link}