…TraIns 1,850 on Small Scale Enterprises programme
By Appolos Christian
In furtherance to its crusade against high rate of unemployment in Nigeria, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE)
In a smart new idea, has recruited and deployed 2,572 unemployed graduates of tertiary institutions across the country to
different corporate oganisations under its transient job creation scheme.
The Directorate of Employment, further explained that “the scheme is known as Graduate Attachment Programme (GAP),
and designed to providing transient employment opportunities for graduates, enhancing their employability, reducing
restiveness among the youths and the rate of long-term unemployment caused by curtailment of employable entrants into
the labour market.”
According to a press release by NDE’s Deputy Director Press, Edmund Onwuliri, “The scheme will run between three months to six months.”
The release also said that eligibility for GAP, requires that each candidate must have graduated from a tertiary institution
and equally must have completed the mandatory one year National Your Service Programme. It a,os stated that during the period of attachment, the interns are expected to gain requisite practical work experience and ascertain their indispensability to the organisations they are deployed to which may lead to a possible retention at the
completion of the internship.”
Similarly, the NDE recently concluded a 5-day entrepreneurship skills training for graduates of tertiary institutions across the country.
The training, according to the Directorate’s statement engaged fifty graduates from each of the Thirty-Six states of the
federation and the FCT. The training was orgainsed under the Small Scale Enterprises programme of the Directorate tagged Start Your Own Bussiness (SYOB).
Addressing newsmen while monitoring the SYOB training in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the Director-General of the NDE Mallam
Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, said the training was designed to provide critical skills needed to enable the participants
identify viable business ideas, package same into bankable feasibility reports that could attract funding.
According to him, the bottom line is to make the participants eventual entrepreneurs, job creators and not job
seekers.
The DG further encouraged participants of the training to make good use of the opportunity given to them by the Federal Government through the NDE. He went on to enjoin them to bring the knowledge acquired from the training to bear on the various businesses they will run. Mallam Fikpo also assured them that the NDE will put in place a strong monitoring
mechanism in the form of business support services after the training.
“Some of the participants expressed gratitude to the Director-general for providing them the opportunity to be trained
on how best to start and run viable businesses of their choice.”
While in Uyo, Mallam Fikpo was honoured with the “He For She” special award at the 21st regular national council meeting
on women affairs held in Uyo between Sunday 22 through Friday 27 August 2021.
The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, who chaired the ward, said that Mallam Fikpo is being
honoured for his commitment to the upliftment of women in skills acquisition, entrepreneurship development and other income generating activities for women nationwide.
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