By Obioma C. Appolos
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has said that ‘unemployment remains one of the very serious social challenges militating against Nigeria’s match to full development, despite its highly endowed human and natural resources’.
NDE therefore appeal to all unskilled and unemployed persons in Nigeria to take advantage of the various skills acquisition training programmes and schemes to move themselves to the next level. Saying that it is deploying innovative strategies towards addressing the challenges posed by mass unemployment, and also added that the repercussions of mass unemployment will adversely affect the overall developmental objectives of Nigeria if drastic and dynamic actions are not taken.
Represented at the occasion of the NDE special day marked at the 2019 Enugu International Trade Fair over the weekend, by Mrs Ifeoma Achigbu, who is the Directorate’s Director Planning Research and Statistics, Dr. Nasir Mohammed Ladan, the Director General of NDE, in a statement made available to journalists, praised Enugu Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) for lending support to government’s drive towards actualizing the goal of diversification of the economy, sustainable growth, employment generation and wealth creation.
In part, the statement reads, “It is apparent that Nigeria as a nation is highly endowed with both human and natural resources. However, unemployment remains one of the very serious social challenges militating against its match to full development. The repercussions of mass unemployment if not properly addressed, will adversely affect the overall developmental objectives off the nation. It is in view of this that these NDE more than ever before, has been deploying innovative strategies towards addressing the challenges posed a by mass unemployment. I am proud to say that by the grace of God, we are making g remarkable progress in this regard.
“It is often said that the taste of the pudding is in the eating. It is against this backdrop that I point to the success of our employment creation initiatives. Using our popular four-core programmes and their various employment creation schemes we have been able to assist hitherto unskilled and unemployed persons to acquire marketable skills, secure either wage employment or set up their own small scale businesses thereby becoming employers of labour.
“Our desire is to continue to deploy dynamic solutions the issue of unemployment in Nigeria. I am co confident that with the support of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, the Directorate will achieve its statutory mandate. I wish to use this opportunity to appeal to all unskilled and unemployed persons in Nigeria to take advantage of the various skills acquisition training programmes and schemes of the NDE to move themselves to the next level.
“In line with the policy direction of the Federal Government which is tailored towards the holistic diversification of the Nation’s economy, the Enugu Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) through the objectives of this year’s fair is lending support to government’s drive towards actualizing the shoals of diversification of the second y, sustainable growth, employment generation and wealth creation.
“It is pertinent to observe that business gatherings in the mould of international trade fairs provide entrepreneurs with the opportunities to cross fertilize ideas with their contemporaries thereby building better and sustainable business networks. This in itself is one of the reasons the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) participates and will continue to participate in international trade fairs.”
