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By Adewale Banjo
Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has said the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, will ensure those trained by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) do not relapse into unemployment market, thereby consolidating on the achievement of the directorate.
NDE Head, Information and Public Relations, Israel Adekitan, in a statement, said Onyejeocha, who is also NDE supervising minister spoke to newsmen after the inspection of products and services paraded by NDE beneficiaries at the 44th edition of Kano International Trade Fair in Kano.
The minister said: “NDE was established to provide skills towards the creation of blue collar jobs. I am happy to see NDE beneficiaries who are very successful, people who have been trained as far back as 2008 and have been feeding their families with their products, some of which are of international standard. All they need is government backing to optimise their products and get the right access.
“Our intent at this particular point in time is to provide support for those who have been trained by these successful beneficiaries and ensure they are empowered and do not relapse to the unemployment market. Some of them train as much as 70 people per month; we shall ensure they also become successful and able to provide for their families too.
“The summary of it all is that if you come to the NDE, you can be employed without being employed by another person or organisation. You can be self-employed. I am happy with what NDE is doing.”
Earlier, the minister said the timing of the trade fair was apt as it compliments President Tinubu’s trapping of a sustainable course for Nigeria’s prosperity.
She said the Federal Government, aside from making efforts to clear inherited billions of dollars, has also established a committee to reduce tax burdens on Nigerians and assured the present administration will reverse the worrisome trend in the economy, saying, the government is working assiduously towards attracting Foreign Direct Investment into the country.
In his welcome address, NDE Director General, Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, said, in line with the theme of the trade fair; ‘Economic Diversification: Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development’, the directorate, aside providing skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development opportunities to many Nigerians, has recently strengthened many macro-enterprises of its beneficiaries through soft loans to ensure sustainability.
He said NDE is willing to empower as many people as possible under the administration of President Tinubu. NDE’s participation in international trade eairs, according to him, is to provide opportunities for the beneficiaries of various skill acquisition programmes to showcase the effort and commitment of the Federal Government through the NDE at self-employment creation.
Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA) President, Garba Imam, thanked the minister and the NDE for their support in building the chamber over the years. Spotlights of the events were the exchange of souvenirs, group photographs and inspection of NDE pavilion and few others.
