At the same time , words like " down-sizing, right-sizing" crept into the world of work throwing many out of jobs. Many therefore turned to the informal sector where there are still quite a number of challenges. The National Directorate of Employment was the firs
t agency created to tackle unemployment by creating job opportunities in the informal sector. Recently, the Director- General of the agency, Mallam Abubakar Mohammed briefed the press on the achievements of this organisation . He did not fail to mention its challenges as well.
The National Directorate of Employment ( NDE) which has been training people for self employment, has created a pool of young and well educated entrepreneurs in the informal sector. It has been able to make young graduates understand that acquiring a university certificate is not all that one needs to be engaged either by others or to engage one's self.
Mallam Mohammed said of NDE's activities which centers mainly on skill development. "One of the major causes of unemployment among youths in the country is lack of skills. Over 90% of unemployed school leavers and drop outs lack marketable skills. Before they can secure a job or start an enterprise, they must first of all be able to acquire basic technical competence and basic business skills".
Consequently, the NDE broadened its Vocational skill development to " provide marketable skills for unemployed youths".
For instance, the director-general said, under its National Open Apprenticeship Scheme; in which youths are trained by craftsmen and women , NDE under its present leadership went beyond mere training.
He said, " In 2008, the Directorate has a total of 26, 945 under the various NOAS training attached to 2, 072 trainers through out the country. The NDE has paid allowances of all trainers amounting to N219, 195,000.00 Naira ". A significant amount was also paid to the trainers. Resettlement- Once trained, the issue of resettlement to enable them engage themselves and perhaps others presents itself and this is how the NDE responds to this. In the words of Mallam Abubakar Mohammed, " Although training is one of the most important instruments in the fight against unemployment and poverty, it is expected that the graduated trainees will profitably and sustainably practice the skill acquired. Towards this end, the NDE has carried out a sustained campaign among parents of the beneficiaries to assist the youths with family funds to enable them establish their own enterprises .
While others he said are being assisted to find paid employment, the NDE has been recommending a large majority of them to micro credit institutions for facilities to start businesses. In this regard, a lot of success have been recorded with the Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank ( NACRDB)".
In addition, he said, " while exploiting all these avenues , the Directorate was going the extra mile to provide materials and funds to graduated trainees and graduates of entrepreneurship development, who are rated as high flyers to start and run their own enterprises".
However, the director-general said, " after the report of the Ahmed Joda Panel for the Rationalization and Streamlining of the Activities of Poverty Alleviation Agencies in 1999, the activities of the NDE have been limited to entrepreneurship and skills training of the unemployed to be followed by symbolic resettlements to show-case the effectiveness of the strategy".
Jobs for the physically challenged - The physically challenged have not been left out of NDE's job creation programmes.
Mallam Abubakar Mohammed disclosed, " The NDE over the last one year encouraged and supported employment opportunities for the physically challenged persons through special training programmes.
The Directorate not only focused on the unemployed able bodies persons but also the vulnerable and marginalised members of the society.
To this end, strategies for the empowerment of the disabled persons were put in place and pilot training was completed in Kaduna and Ekiti states where 100 physically challenged persons were trained and resettled. The graduation and disbursement of tools to successful physically challenged persons were carried out in Kaduna in June, 2008 while that of Ekiti state took place in Ekiti on July 10, 2008. The successful graduates trained in selected trades which includes bead making, tie and dye, soap making, store yam making, G.S.M repairs, poultry and fish farming, fashion designing and knitting. Additional 300 disabled persons were recruited and are receiving training in six states ".
Women benefit from constitutency training programmes - Special consideration was made for women by the directorate. What were they and who benefitted? The answer was provided by the director-general who said, " The NDE in 2008 initiated and implemented women employment training schemes in the constituency of some of the members of the National Assembly in 13 states. The states and members trained were Plateau 64, Borno 100, Bauchi 100, Kebbi 96, Edo 100, Ondo 100, Oyo 120, Cross River 100, Abia 100, Nassarawa 226, Zamfara 100, Rivers 100, Katsina 168. In all a total of 1, 474 women benefitted from this intervention.
Labour ministry hands over skills centres to NDE - The NDE director -general made it known that " the federal ministry of labour and productivity in 2008 transferred to the NDE eight skills centres located in Ibadan, Kaduna, Enugu, Bauchi, Owerri, Calabar, Lagos and Lafia. The NDE was able to put in place strategies for the maintenance of these centres". That isn't enough hence the director-general called on the minister of labour to " consider complete transfer of the Trade Testing and Skills Upgrading Centres to NDE for harmonious management".
Source : allafrica.com/stories/200904160026.html
t agency created to tackle unemployment by creating job opportunities in the informal sector. Recently, the Director- General of the agency, Mallam Abubakar Mohammed briefed the press on the achievements of this organisation . He did not fail to mention its challenges as well.The National Directorate of Employment ( NDE) which has been training people for self employment, has created a pool of young and well educated entrepreneurs in the informal sector. It has been able to make young graduates understand that acquiring a university certificate is not all that one needs to be engaged either by others or to engage one's self.
Mallam Mohammed said of NDE's activities which centers mainly on skill development. "One of the major causes of unemployment among youths in the country is lack of skills. Over 90% of unemployed school leavers and drop outs lack marketable skills. Before they can secure a job or start an enterprise, they must first of all be able to acquire basic technical competence and basic business skills".
Consequently, the NDE broadened its Vocational skill development to " provide marketable skills for unemployed youths".
For instance, the director-general said, under its National Open Apprenticeship Scheme; in which youths are trained by craftsmen and women , NDE under its present leadership went beyond mere training.
He said, " In 2008, the Directorate has a total of 26, 945 under the various NOAS training attached to 2, 072 trainers through out the country. The NDE has paid allowances of all trainers amounting to N219, 195,000.00 Naira ". A significant amount was also paid to the trainers. Resettlement- Once trained, the issue of resettlement to enable them engage themselves and perhaps others presents itself and this is how the NDE responds to this. In the words of Mallam Abubakar Mohammed, " Although training is one of the most important instruments in the fight against unemployment and poverty, it is expected that the graduated trainees will profitably and sustainably practice the skill acquired. Towards this end, the NDE has carried out a sustained campaign among parents of the beneficiaries to assist the youths with family funds to enable them establish their own enterprises .
While others he said are being assisted to find paid employment, the NDE has been recommending a large majority of them to micro credit institutions for facilities to start businesses. In this regard, a lot of success have been recorded with the Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank ( NACRDB)".
In addition, he said, " while exploiting all these avenues , the Directorate was going the extra mile to provide materials and funds to graduated trainees and graduates of entrepreneurship development, who are rated as high flyers to start and run their own enterprises".
However, the director-general said, " after the report of the Ahmed Joda Panel for the Rationalization and Streamlining of the Activities of Poverty Alleviation Agencies in 1999, the activities of the NDE have been limited to entrepreneurship and skills training of the unemployed to be followed by symbolic resettlements to show-case the effectiveness of the strategy".
Jobs for the physically challenged - The physically challenged have not been left out of NDE's job creation programmes.
Mallam Abubakar Mohammed disclosed, " The NDE over the last one year encouraged and supported employment opportunities for the physically challenged persons through special training programmes.
The Directorate not only focused on the unemployed able bodies persons but also the vulnerable and marginalised members of the society.
To this end, strategies for the empowerment of the disabled persons were put in place and pilot training was completed in Kaduna and Ekiti states where 100 physically challenged persons were trained and resettled. The graduation and disbursement of tools to successful physically challenged persons were carried out in Kaduna in June, 2008 while that of Ekiti state took place in Ekiti on July 10, 2008. The successful graduates trained in selected trades which includes bead making, tie and dye, soap making, store yam making, G.S.M repairs, poultry and fish farming, fashion designing and knitting. Additional 300 disabled persons were recruited and are receiving training in six states ".
Women benefit from constitutency training programmes - Special consideration was made for women by the directorate. What were they and who benefitted? The answer was provided by the director-general who said, " The NDE in 2008 initiated and implemented women employment training schemes in the constituency of some of the members of the National Assembly in 13 states. The states and members trained were Plateau 64, Borno 100, Bauchi 100, Kebbi 96, Edo 100, Ondo 100, Oyo 120, Cross River 100, Abia 100, Nassarawa 226, Zamfara 100, Rivers 100, Katsina 168. In all a total of 1, 474 women benefitted from this intervention.
Labour ministry hands over skills centres to NDE - The NDE director -general made it known that " the federal ministry of labour and productivity in 2008 transferred to the NDE eight skills centres located in Ibadan, Kaduna, Enugu, Bauchi, Owerri, Calabar, Lagos and Lafia. The NDE was able to put in place strategies for the maintenance of these centres". That isn't enough hence the director-general called on the minister of labour to " consider complete transfer of the Trade Testing and Skills Upgrading Centres to NDE for harmonious management".
Source : allafrica.com/stories/200904160026.html
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