National Directorate of Employment (NDE), on Monday, under its Rural Employment Promotions Department (REP) flagged off Orientation for 48 beneficiaries of Agricultural Enhancement Scheme (AES) in Gombe State who successfully completed training in 2023.
The occasion was held at the Conference Hall of the Federal Secretariat Complex in Gombe for 48 beneficiaries from the State who got the sum of N50,000 each as grant to start the business.
In a keynote address, the Director General, National Directorate of Employment, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo said that the implementation of the Agricultural Enhancement Scheme (AES) would not have been possible without the kind support and approval of the NDE Supervising Minister, Honourable Minister of State Labour and Employment, Rt. Hon. (Barr) Nkiruka Onyejeocha who has been passionately committed towards promoting Agriculture as a business and attracting unemployed Nigerians into modern agribusiness.
He also congratulated the beneficiaries in the 14 States and FCT where the flag-off ceremony took place simultaneously saying that the Federal Government established the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to tackle the rising rate of unemployment in the country.
Represented by the Acting State Coordinator, Mrs Mawa Lamu Asmau, the DG also said that the Directorate has been carrying out these responsibilities through sensitization, counselling, and reorienting the minds of unemployed youth to deemphasize the search for non-existent white collar jobs and embracing skill acquisition provided by NDE as a viable option to wages employment and equally as a deliberate choice to self-reliance.
According to him, for almost four decades, the Directorate has been tackling the rise in unemployment through series of different demand-driven entrepreneurial, agricultural, vocational:- (technical & domestic), and enterprise creation for young school leavers and unemployed graduates searching for employment to embrace self-employment as a deliberate choice to become self-reliant, create wealth and reduce poverty.
Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo added that the Rural Employment Promotion Department (REP) through its strategy of training in modern agricultural skills and empowerment in agribusiness engagements is one of the core programme departments saddled with the responsibility of generating employment opportunities for the unemployed youth in Nigeria.
He added that the programme trains unemployed youth in agricultural value chain activities such as production, storage, processing, post-harvest hang and management, preservation, packaging, marketing, agricultural extension, rural sociology, and off-farm activities as well as other innovative and tacdimclogical driven skills in the agricultural sector.
He said, “Today, we are here to flag off the provision of facilities to seven hundred (700) beneficiaries under the 2023 Agricultural Enhancement Scheme (AES). Ucker this scheme graduated trainees of various REP Training Schemes will be pros with facilities in the Fourteen (14) States of the federation and FCT that enable them start up or enhance their off-farm agribusinesses in their chosen areas of Interest to become self-employed, create wealth and generate em oyment opportunities for others.”
“Let me remind the beneficiar to see this gesture as a rare opportunity which should not be allowed to fail, int you have been trained in modern agricultural activities including off-farms and life skills to be able to overcome the challenges of your mediate environment,” he added.
The DG further said, “Secondly, the facility you are receiving today provides you the required opportunity for entrepreneurship. You should therefore just by these efforts by utilizing the facility and putting in your best to succeed as agricultural entrepreneurs. The NDE attaches very high premium to this initiative’s multiplier effect for increased job creation.”
He then expressed the gratitude of NDE to all its collaborators generally, all Development partners, State Government, National Assembly, and other stakeholders for their unwavering support just as he also invited all well-meaning Nigerians to join hands and partner with the NDE for the benefit of the unemployed in the country.
He also reaffirmed that NDE will continue to do its best in addressing the challenges of unemployment in Nigeria.
In her goodwill message the Deputy Director, Rural Employment Promotions (REP) Department, Oruoyehu Beatrice said, “It is worthy of note that thousands of NDE-trained youths and rural farmers do not receive assistance to start up their agribusinesses, while the majority were left to roam hopelessly in the labour market. This has led to the increasing rate of unabating unemployment in the country”.
According to her, “Consequently, the REP department is implementing the 2023 Agricultural Enhance Scheme (AES) for the NDE trained youths in agricultural activities including off-farm activities. The programme will create employment and generate wealth that will go a long w reducing the number of unemployed persons in the country.”
Represented by Nkem Ekeamadi, She said, “To my esteemed beneficiaries, you have all been trained under the various REP Training Schemes in the past, it is based on the successful completion of your training that you will be provided with facilities to establish off-farm Agribusinesses of your choice.”
She said that under the scheme, 700 trained graduates who have been documented and verified will be provided with facilities in fourteen States of the Federation and FCT to start up their off-farm Agribusine along its value chain.
She explained that the event aims to sensitise the beneficiaries on the effective utilisation of the facilities which they will be provided with strongly advising that they should use the facilities the purpose for which it is meant for.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke commended NDE for the training which they said has equipped them for the task ahead assuring that they will immediately hit the ground running as soon as they receive the facilities.
