Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has said the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) saddled with the mandate of tackling the issue of unemployment in the country, would be able to do much more if it is adequately equipped.
Onyejeocha, who spoke during an inspection tour of the NDE headquarters still under reconstruction in Abuja, noted that the Federal Government is geared to standardising the nation’s work environment for improved, safe and healthy workplaces, to ensure higher productivity.
While noting that the Ministry of Labour and Employment is shifting focus to the provision of sustainable employment and empowerment for unemployed persons, she added that NDE’s empowerment and training programmes would be based on specific needs of unemployed Nigerians.
Onyejeocha explained that NDE would reposition its skills development function along identified skills needs for both literate and non-literate beneficiaries, aimed at making them active contributors to national productivity and wealth creation.
She said: “One of the new phases we are embarking on is to make sure when we empower people they are not going back to the streets, so we are looking at an empowerment, employment that is sustainable, that is fit for purpose.
“We have moved from the era of training people for three to four days then give them N20,000 or N50,000 and the next time you come, they are back on the streets. We have graduated to sustainable training where you make sure people are trained based on what they want to do. You don’t force people to train on skills that they don’t like.
“This is about helping Nigerians get out of poverty. Human being is part of infrastructure. Once you get it right on your work force; get it right on employment, then the nation is on the right path.”
Commending the company handling the project, M/s Skaldon International Limited, on its professionalism and quality of work, the minister urged it to deliver on the targeted first quarter of 2024 for completion of the project.
On the 774 jobs project by the immediate past government, the minister hinted on possible restructure of the project from the local governments to the ward level, saying, “I am even proposing we take it to the ward level because we need to really touch people; the people who are hurting from farming. We will continue to drive every process that will touch the last person in our community.”
Director General of NDE, Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, appreciated the commitment of the Federal government in providing a more convenient location for the headquarters of the Directorate.
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