Director General National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Silas Ali Agara in this interview with Ahmid Lawal, explained how the Ministries of Labour and Employment and Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation supported him to empower 93,731 beneficiaries.
What is the mandate given to you by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu?
When His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) appointed me the Director General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), he charged me with the immediate task of overhauling the Directorate with a view to repositioning it for optimized employment creation. Today signposts the first step in the execution of the President’s directives. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative is our modest short term effort at checking the scourge of unemployment in Nigeria. It is with the deepest sense of satisfaction that distinguished Nigerians attended the formal flag off of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative holding in every state of the federation today as well as the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.
How did you arrive at 93,731 beneficiaries?
I am a grassroots politician, a former Commissioner and a former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa state; I have been engaging youth and Nigerians all my life. The current employment initiative has been designed to engage a total of 93,731 unskilled and unemployed persons across Nigeria. Inclusiveness has been a cardinal consideration as we designed this programme. We have ensured that a minimum of 10 persons from each of the 8,809 electoral wards in Nigeria were recruited to benefit from the 30 skill sets across our four core programmes of Vocational Skills Development, Small Scale Enterprises, Rural Employment Promotion and Special Public Works.
Furthermore, various categories of the unskilled and unemployed have been provided for within the framework of the programme such as school leavers, school dropouts, women, graduates of tertiary institutions, retirees and persons with special needs among others. I would like to add that after the training, a good number of the beneficiaries will be resettled into productive entrepreneurial lives through the provision of tools, equipment and startup capital.
Any special provision or grant for the beneficiaries?
Those that we are not able to resettle will be linked with credit granting institutions for further support. NDE under my watch has ensured the adoption of cutting edge technology in the design and execution of this programme. For instance, all applicants registered through our online portal which has enabled us to establish for the first time, a credible database of our beneficiaries.
Which department has the highest number of beneficiaries?
40,000 out of the 93,731 persons enrolled in this programme will be receiving training in ICT and digital skills. This is a deliberate step by the NDE in order to equip our youths with emerging skills that will enable them to become globally competitive. I would like to place on record my gratitude to Messers Skill Paddy and Timetrest Limited that are collaborating with us in the provision of ICT and digital skills.
How are you sourcing for the starter packs for the beneficiaries at the successful end of the training?
NDE sincerely appreciates the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation that is strongly supporting the NDE through the provision of starter packs for some of the beneficiaries across several schemes under this programme.
What is your relationship with your supervising Ministry?
Let me also appreciate the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Mallam Muhammad Maigeri Dingyadi, Ph.D, for the support we have been receiving from the Ministry. Similarly, the Honourable Minister of State, Labour and Employment and Supervising Minister of the NDE Rt. Hon. (Barr) Nkeiruka Onyejiocha, Ph.D, OON, has provided the enabling environment for us to discharge our mandate creditably.
What is your assessment of NDE staff since your assumption a few months ago?
I appreciate my entire management and staff who have labored tirelessly and consistently in the last 4 months towards making today a reality. I am proud to say that as we are flagging off this programme here today in Bwari Area Council, similar events are taking place in the 36 states of the Federation. I assure Nigerians that the lessons we take away from this programme will enable us to improve on subsequent initiatives.
