NDE to provide 74,000 jobs soon, says minister
From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu
A SOUL-LIFTING disclosure came yesterday that the Federal Government has approved the provision of 74,000 jobs in the next few months through the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
The Minister of Employment and Productivity, Dr. Hassan Lawal said this in Enugu yesterday at the launching of the NDE Resettlement Scheme. He urged youths and other unemployed Nigerians to take advantage of the liberal policies and other opportunities created by the government to enhance their business ventures or to create jobs for themselves.
He described the Resettlement Scheme as an indication of government's commitment to encourage locally created and managed small-scale enterprises aimed at combating joblessness.
The minister also urged unemployed youths to take a cue from the successes young entrepreneurs and the opportunities offered by the NDE to better their fortune by being economically self-reliant
Lawal stated that the Obasanjo-led administration in its determination to create a level playing field for private entrepreneurs added that the government has continued to pursue its privatisation exercise with vigour.
"By the time government completes the present phase of the privatisation programme, a conducive environment would have been provided for the people to take control of the vital sector of the economy," he added.
The minister said: "In the same vein, government is conscious of the need for a friendly industrial harmony for its policies and programmes to succeed. This informs a number of measures taken by government to ensure that there is cordial relationship between it and organised labour. Let me assure you that my ministry will devote its resources, time and energy to ensure that organised labour is carried along in the initiation and implementation of government programmes and policies affecting the Nigerian workers," he said.
In his address, the Director General of NDE, Dr. S.O. Adelodun disclosed that over 484,871 unemployed graduates and school leavers have so far benefited from the business-training programme. Besides, he also added that over 700,000 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have benefited from the Entrepreneurship Development Sensitisation Programme (EDP) conducted by NDE.
He added that over the years, the NDE has planned, designed and developed well-tested employment promotion programme in the areas of vocational skills acquisition, training for rural development business and entrepreneurial youths who hitherto lacked marketable skills have been trained in over 81 different trades while 24,500 are currently undergoing training in various trades nation-wide.
