The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has kicked off a program in Imo State, providing training to 100 young individuals in sustainable agricultural development skills.
Inaugurating this initiative in Owerri, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, the Director-General of NDE, was represented by Mr. Edmund Onwuliri, the Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at NDE. This effort is a part of NDE’s Sustainable Agriculture Development Training Scheme (SADTS).
Fikpo emphasized that this training, spanning three months, is being conducted in 12 states across the country, with the primary objective of generating employment opportunities in rural areas through the adoption of modern innovative agricultural techniques.
Furthermore, he revealed that each trainee would be granted a monthly transport allowance of N5,000. The 100 beneficiaries will receive training in various areas, including vegetable farming, snail cultivation, poultry, and pig farming, along with their associated value chains.
“This training is poised to create additional job opportunities within rural communities and mitigate the rural-to-urban migration trend. The NDE is deeply committed to empowering people and is eager to collaborate with the state government to achieve this goal,” he affirmed.
In Imo, the NDE Coordinator, Mrs. Chisara Egwim-Chima, stressed the importance of rural residents breaking free from poverty, unemployment, and economic challenges while ensuring sustainable food production to combat scarcity and hunger. She urged the beneficiaries to approach the training with punctuality and commitment, recognizing the resources invested in the program.
Representing the Director of the Rural Employment Promotion department of NDE, Mr. Edem Duke, Mrs. Chikodi Okereke advised the trainees to absorb all the knowledge shared by their instructors.
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Mrs. Comfort Nweke, the South-East zonal president of the Association of Micro Credit Institutions of Nigeria, lauded NDE’s efforts in training and announced that micro start-up loans would be accessible to the participants upon program completion.
Additionally, Mr. Placid Chijioke, the Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Religious Mobilisation, reiterated the state government’s unwavering commitment to supporting NDE’s mission of job creation and unemployment reduction within the state.
Continuing its efforts to empower individuals, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has initiated the training of 50 participants in the Basic National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (B-NOAS) to develop a range of vocational skills in Imo.
The launch of the program took place in Owerri, with Fikpo, the Director-General of NDE, presiding over the event. Representing him was Mr. Edmund Onwuliri, the Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at NDE, who highlighted the program’s focus on providing a three-month training that equips beneficiaries with valuable vocational and other skills.
The skills covered under this scheme encompass catering, sewing, mobile phone repairs, soap making, carpentry, and more. Fikpo encouraged the participants to fully engage with the training to maximize its long-term benefits, emphasizing that the program introduces them to the fundamentals of their chosen skills.
In her remarks, Mrs. Chisara Egwim-Chima, the Imo Coordinator of NDE, explained that the training, facilitated by the directorate’s Department of Vocational Skills Development (VSD), offers participants the opportunity to become self-employed rather than relying on traditional white-collar jobs. She stressed the importance of commitment from the beneficiaries to make their families and the NDE proud.
Representing the Director of VSD, Mallam Isa Abdu, Mrs. Modesta Ezekwu, a senior staff member of the department, advised the beneficiaries to take personal initiatives to enhance their proficiency in their chosen skills. This, he noted, would lead to a better understanding of the lessons and better preparation for their future.
Mr. Chibuikem Ndukaku, one of the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude on behalf of the trainees, acknowledging the NDE’s support and the resources invested in their training. He pledged a strong commitment to the program’s success.
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