The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Kaduna Directorate, on Tuesday resettled 553 women and youth who had undergone training in various skills with starter packs
By Aisha Gambo
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Kaduna Directorate, on Tuesday resettled 553 women and youth who had undergone training in various skills with starter packs and soft loans.
The empowerment programme, targeting 93,731 unskilled and unemployed Nigerians, is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Employment Initiative aimed at reducing unemployment across the country.
State Coordinator, Hajiya Halima Waziri, stated that the directorate provided vocational, agricultural, and entrepreneurial training, along with temporary jobs in the public works sector.
“Out of the 93,731 beneficiaries, 2,613 were allocated to Kaduna State, with at least 10 individuals per ward benefiting, including persons with special needs.
“Although, only 1,253 beneficiaries were documented for training, 850 were male while 403 were female in the just-concluded training,” Waziri said.
She explained that beneficiaries of the starter packs and loans were selected based on performance in training, which covered digital marketing, catering, fashion design, and more.
Waziri noted that 160 beneficiaries had already received their starter packs in the first phase, while the remaining 393 would be accommodated in the second phase.
Earlier, Director-General Silas Agara stated that the employment initiative was built on three core pillars: skills development, resettlement, and job creation.
Represented by Deputy Director of Vocational Skills Development, Offia Obinna, Agara said the directorate had trained 33,692 unemployed women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
According to him, a total of 5,532 beneficiaries nationwide would receive loans and starter packs to help them establish their own businesses.
Some beneficiaries told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) they appreciated the government and NDE, saying they were selected without needing personal connections.
A person living with a disability, Malam Nasir Muhammad, who trained in GSM repair, thanked the NDE for its inclusivity, saying PWDs have the ability to achieve great things.
Similarly, a nursing mother, Asabe Dogo, who trained in catering, described the initiative as a privilege since she could not afford private lessons.
“I made sure I attended the training even though the location was far from my home. Now I can bake cakes, bread, and make small chops.
“I no longer buy bread because I bake for my family. With this starter pack, I will start producing in commercial quantity,” Dogo added. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)