National Directorate of Employment, NDE, has stated that the agency is tackling unemployment through agriculture, vocational and entrepreneurship training.
The Director-General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo stated this yesterday at the orientation ceremony of the sustainable agricultural development training scheme, SADTS and loan distribution to graduates of various agricultural schemes held in Awka Anambra state.
Fikpo represented by Mr. Sylvester Ekemhonye, Director, said that agriculture remains the only sector that has the capacity to reduce the high rate of poverty and unemployment in the country through the provision of opportunity to millions of Nigeria across agricultural value chains.
” The large number of unemployed persons, who are basically youths with a lot of vigour and energy can be encouraged to take up agriculture as a means of livelihood if adequate training and start-up funds are provided for them as loans.
” This will empower them to engage in agricultural production/livestock/ crop production along its values chains,” he said.
The DG further said that NDE, through Rural Employment Promotion Department was organising SADTS for graduates of higher institutions, school leavers and retirees using the experiential learning method of farm demonstrations.
He said that they will also use tutorials on industry best practices in seven skills namely, crop production, livestock management, micro- livestock, food processing, preservation and storage, agro- services and farm management
He noted, ” The participants will also be trained on enterprise management, Business plans preparation, value-enhancing life skills and success attitude. They are encouraged to form corporate in order to benefit from the resettlement packages and also have access loans from financial institutions.”
According to him, the success of the SADTS implementation in the past led to the management approval for the scheme to be replicated in the 36 states and federal capital territory, Abuja.
Following the implementation, he said that 3,700 participants are recruited across the country with 100 per state.
Speaking at the event, the Anambra State Coordinator of NDE, Mrs Chika Ufelle said the 100 persons selected in Anambra would be engaged in 2 weeks of theoretical training and 3 months of experiential adaptive practical training.
She, therefore, urged the participants to take the training seriously and put in their best so that in the end, they would be self-employed by establishing their business.
According to her, the directorate has given out loans to 38 beneficiaries made up of unemployed persons of various categories in Anambra state.
