NDE Launches Second Phase of Employment Initiative in Yobe, Targets Over 1000 Youths
From Yusuf A. Yusuf, Damaturu
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has launched the second phase of its Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI 2) in Yobe State. A total of 19,666 applicants applied for the program, from which 1,104 have been selected.
The state launch ceremony, held in Damaturu on Thursday, is part of a larger federal program aiming to train 41,307 unskilled and unemployed Nigerians across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The NDE Director-General, Mr. Silas Ali Agara, represented by the Yobe State Coordinator,Hajiya Binta Aliyu, announced that the initiative will provide training in over 30 high-demand skill sets. These include modern agricultural practices, digital literacy (ICT), entrepreneurial skills, and various vocational trades.
“The programme will primarily utilize the public works sector to ensure participants are equipped for the modern labour market,” Mr. Agara stated.
Emphasizing the program’s practical approach,he outlined significant post-training support. “At the end of the training, some participants will be provided with start-up capital, equipment, and tools as soft loans to begin small or medium-scale businesses,” he explained.
In his remarks at the occasion, the Yobe State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Mohammed Bello Kawuwa, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI) on behalf of the Yobe State Government.
He congratulated the selected beneficiaries and urged them to utilize the opportunity to become self-reliant.
The launch was attended by state officials and community leaders, who welcomed the intervention as a critical step toward engaging youth and providing a pathway to financial independence.
The NDE expects to resettle 14,457 beneficiaries with starter packs to establish themselves in their chosen fields.
