By Michael Oche
As part of its continued effort to tackle the menace of unemployment in the country, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), says it has engaged another 330 youths across 11 states in a new job creation training scheme.
This was contained in a press statement by NDE’s Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations, Edmund Onwuliri, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday.
He explained that under the new scheme known as, Enviroprenuership Development Scheme (EDS) the beneficiaries will be empowered with entrepreneurship training through various workshops on recycling existing waste materials.
He said the scheme will not only provide a means of livelihood and self-reliance to participants upon completion of on-the-job skills training, it will also lead to reduction in the impact of climate change on the environment.
He said, it will also “improve the standard of living of the participants of the training programme; acquisition of skills training on the use of waste materials to develop several products and services that bring about sustainable business as well as creation of environmental maintenance awareness amongst people living in the communities nationwide which in turn gives healthy and clean environment.”
He said the scheme is therefore designed to focus on environmental problems and accommodating societal needs while at the same time meeting the economic objectives of the organization since it has to do with doing business.
The statement reads in part, “Two States, Adamawa & Ebonyi engaged 5 organizations to provide internships for 30 participants in each state. Osun State engaged 4 organizations while Benue, Jigawa, Kwara, Lagos & Yobe States involved three companies for the purpose of providing internships for the participants. Borno and Kebbi States, on the other hand, engaged 2 companies each. However, Kogi State engaged only one Company that has two different arms engaged in collecting and sorting out used materials.
To this end, one arm of the company carries out the sorting of materials while the second processes them into finished goods/items.
“Most of the Companies are into the recycling business. The items used include: food waste, used and damaged materials like tyres, plastic, paper, cartons, metal scraps, car batteries, etc. These materials are processed into finished products such as manure for farm, slippers, chair frames, plastic spoons and forks, buckets, plastic bottles, takeaway bags, backpacks, curtain rails, flower pots, earrings and necklaces, bread moulds, coal pots, heavy-duty iron pots, etc.”
The NDE stated that the 11 States where the scheme kicked off are Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Lagos, Kwara, Osun and Yobe.
