By Bitrus Osagie
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) said it is currently training no fewer than 66 artisans under the federal government’s Special Public Works (SPW) scheme in Gombe State.
The three-month intensive training was organised under the Artisans in Collaborative Construction Employment Scheme (ACCES) commenced in December and is expected to end in February, 2025.
Speaking with journalists in Gombe, the NDE Director-General, Mr. Silas Ali Agara explained that the government, through the agency, was committed to closing the unemployment gap in the country with the provision of avenues for productive utilisation of the human capital.
Agara who was represented by Mrs Mawa Lamu Asmau, the State Coordinator of NDE, Gombe State office, stated that during the training, participants were expected to acquire marketable skills to become self-employed and reduce poverty, hunger, youth restiveness as well as other social vices.
According to him, the NDE, under his leadership, is committed to combating unemployment in the country in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Mass Employment Initiative.
He expressed optimism that the current employment initiative designed to engage a total of 93,731 unskilled and unemployed persons across Nigeria would help reduce unemployment while creating wealth amongst youths.
The dg advised participants to leverage the initiative to empower themselves and become self-reliant, contributing to national development.
Agara stressed that the agency was re-strategizing ways towards empowering youths through skill acquisition, hence urged Nigerians to support and embrace the Federal Government’s initiatives aimed at addressing unemployment in the country.
He commended President Tinubu for supporting efforts at tackling unemployment in the state while giving unskilled and unemployed youths a sense of belonging.
