The Federal Government on Tuesday inaugurated the extended special public works programme for the engagement of 21,000 youths, in Adamawa State.
Mr Mohammed Bello, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said at the ceremony in Yola, that the programme was meant to empower youths, men and women across the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs), in the country.
“In Adamawa State, we have 21 LGAs, and 1,000 youths were selected from each of the councils to be part of the programme,” Bello said.
The minister, who tasked the beneficiaries on diligence and honesty in their assignments, said that the programme would expose them to the beauty of labour, as well as develop their leadership skills.
Malam Abubakar Fikpo, the Director General of National Directorate of Employment (NDE), said that the programme was designed to touch the lives of 774, 000 unemployed Nigerians in the next three months.
Fikpo who was represented by Mrs Joyce Yarnap, NDE’s Deputy Director of Women Empowerment, added that the beneficiaries would be engaged in various community and environment public works.
He listed their areas of engagement to include drainage clearing and maintenance, vegetation control, feeder roads maintenance, great green wall and orchard maintenance among others.
He urged Nigerians living in the benefiting communities to cooperate with the participants and officials during their assignments.
In his remarks, Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri, represented by his Deputy, Mr Crowther Seth commended the Federal Government for the programme aimed at reducing poverty in the country.
Fintiri expressed happiness at the initiative, which he said would impact positively on the lives of 21,000 youths in the state, and charged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the programme.