The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has successfully trained and resettled 5,532 Nigerians under the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative.
NDE’s Director General, His Excellency, Mr. Silas Agara, who spoke in Calabar on Tuesday during the resettlement and closing ceremony of the agency’s nationwide skills acquisition programme, the Director General, stated that the initiative was aimed at creating employment opportunities for Nigerian youths, women, and persons with disabilities.
The Guardian reports that Agara was represented at the event by the Cross River State Acting Coordinator, Mr. Anthony Moloa.
The programme, which commenced in December 2024, was anchored on three core pillars: skills development, resettlement, and job creation.
“The Renewed Hope Employment Initiative is designed to empower Nigerians by fostering employment opportunities, supporting small-scale enterprises, promoting agricultural productivity, improving rural infrastructure, and providing transient jobs. These efforts, in turn, will drive economic growth and strengthen our communities,” the DG stated.
He further disclosed that the initiative began with a flag-off ceremony on December 6, 2024, followed by the commencement of training on December 9, 2024.
According to him, over the past three months, the NDE has trained 33,692 unemployed youths, women, and persons with disabilities in various demand-driven skills, including vocational training, entrepreneurship, business management, and agriculture, across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“This programme is now culminating in the resettlement phase, where 5,532 trained beneficiaries will receive loans and starter packs to establish their own businesses, enabling them to become not just self-employed but also employers of labour,” Agara added.
The Coordinator of the National Productivity Centre in Cross River State, Mr. Emeka Okoli, urged beneficiaries to utilize their resettlement tools effectively.
He stressed that the 261 beneficiaries in Cross River State were expected to contribute significantly to the local economy by applying the skills and business management techniques they acquired during training.
A highlight of the ceremony was the symbolic presentation of cash grants and resettlement items, including sewing machines, pressing irons, and hairdryers, to the beneficiaries.
In a vote of thanks, a beneficiary representative, Agnes Arop, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and the NDE for the economic empowerment initiative. She pledged to make productive use of the support received.
Dignitaries in attendance included Mr. John Asanye, State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA); a representative from the office of the Special Assistant to the Cross River State Governor on Youth Development; and Mrs. Blessing Owan from the NDE headquarters.
