NDE created over 4 million direct, indirect jobs in 2022 —DG

THE Director-General  of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE),Mallam Abubkar Nuhu Fikpo, has said 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, who said this at NDE’s Special Day during the recently held Kano International Trade Fair, revealed 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.

The NDE Director-General further stated that the faithful implementation of the four core programmes of the Directorate has impacted positively on the people of Nigeria and has created reliable jobs worthy of celebration.

The core programmes, according to him, 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.

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The Minister said government at the centre has been the major force behind the establishment and success of African Continental Free Trade Zone Area (AFCTA) because the government is cognisant of the need for African markets to grow and prosper, saying, “The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is determined, even in its last lap, to strengthen economic relationship with all other African nations.

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.”

The highlights of the Special Day event included the exchange of gifts and visitation to the NDE pavilion by the Minister, the NDE Director-General and host of dignitaries at the occasion.

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.