The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has commenced training youths on marketable vocational skills for them to be self-employed in Ekiti State.
The Director General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, who spoke during the flag-off in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, said the training is under the Basic-National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (B-NOAS) of the Vocational Skills Development Department (VSD) of the agency.
Represented by the NDE state coordinator, Sanusi Akeem, the DG explained that the training was part of the directorate’s mandate to ensure a productive economy with adequate engagement of the youth.
He noted that during the training, the beneficiaries would be exposed to marketable vocational skills such as bag making and barbing by competent trainers.
He said, “The scheme is aimed at training and engaging young school-leavers and other classes of Nigerian youths in marketable vocational skills under highly competent trainers, so as to curb societal crimes and youth restiveness occasioned by youth unemployment.
“It is also to enable our youths to contribute towards the socio-economic development of Ekiti in particular and, on a broader scale, enhance the attraction and opportunity for foreign exchange earnings for the nation.”
The DG revealed that the training would last for three months and that each of the twenty beneficiaries would be given a stipend of N5,000 monthly.
Speaking, the Director of Vocational Skills Development, Aminat Shittu, who was represented by Aminat Shaba, encouraged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the training to improve their skills for economic empowerment.
She maintained that the contributions of artisans and those with vocational skills to the growth of the economy cannot be overemphasised.
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