NDE poised to creating jobs to reduce poverty in Nigeria — DG

…Flags off training for 740 women nationwide

Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) said the Federal Government through its numerous training programmes is determined to reduce poverty in Nigeria.

The Director General (DG) of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, stated this Monday while flagging off a 5-day training programme for 20 women on shoe and bag making in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Represented by the Zonal Director, South South, Mr Sunday Apakasa, the DG said a total of 740 women across the country will benefit from the training, which he said falls under the Women Employment Branch (WEB) of the Small Scale Enterprises(SSE) Department , meant to empower women. This, he said will inculcate the spirit of entrepreneurship in the women, thereby making them innovative and self-reliant.

The DG who said the Directorate through WEB started training in income generating activities in skills such as, decorative paint making, embroidery, perfumery, among others in 2022.

Fikpo noted that products emanated from the skills are in high demand and therefore the beneficiaries ought to be doing well.

He added that in recent years, over one million direct jobs have been created for women by the Directorate through skills acquisition and entrepreneurial  training opportunities.

The DG said women are encouraged to form cooperative groups to access adequate loan facilities.

He urged the women to take seriously their training.

Also speaking, the Head of Department (HOD), Small Scale Enterprises Department, Ms Chikodi Ike, represented by Mrs  Monica Abu hailed the training for the 740 unemployed women on shoe and bag making, holding across 36 states and FCT under the WEB of the Small Scale Enterprises Department(SSE).

The HOD said the programme was deliberately designed by the Directorate to generate employment, create wealth among unskilled women, to curb unemployment, that has become a national problem.

She emphasised that the DG has graciously approved some money as loan to the beneficiaries, which must be earned through at least 90 per cent attendance, while the training lasts. This, she said, is in addition to transport fare and feeding throughout the duration of the training.

Ms Ike lauded the DG of NDE, Mallam Fikpo for approving the nationwide training for women.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Rivers State Coordinator of NDE, Mrs Maureen Okeji had congratulated the 20 lucky women for scaling through the selection process and urged them to take the training seriously.