From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Director General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Abubakar Fikpo, has described the Special Public Works Programme (SPWP) introduced in 2019 as a huge success as over 8,000 families have benefited immensely from it.
The programme, he said at a recent media engagement, was targeted at employing 1,000 unskilled youths in each of the 774 LGAs of the country for three months. The NDE boss stated that exit strategies have also been designed by the directorate to enable the beneficiaries become self reliant and ensure that they do not relapse into the labour market
He reiterated the Directorate’s commitment to crush the high rate of unemployment and the hideous consequences to the larger society through various sustainable job creation and empowerment programmes.
He said: “In the last one year, we have made a significant impact in job creation and employment generation nationwide. “Towards the end of year 2021, the Directorate was in Delta, Plateau and Bauchi States where well over 3,000 youths and women groups were empowered and resettled with various starter packs to kick-start their businesses. “We were also in Katsina State early this month for a similar exercise where 1,000 people were empowered. It is our desire to skill–up the entire country and empower all willing Nigerians to be self-employed.