National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has launched the second phase of its Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI 2), aiming to train 1,074 unemployed and unskilled youths in Sokoto State, according to Abubakar Lukman, the acting State Coordinator of NDE.
Speaking in Sokoto on behalf of NDE Director General Silas Agara, Lukman highlighted the Directorate’s alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“In 2024, NDE made remarkable progress in job creation, training 32,692 Nigerians in market-relevant skills across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory,” Agara noted.
He added that 5,532 trainees received loans and starter packs, with efforts ongoing to connect others to credit institutions for financial support.
Agara emphasized that the President’s agenda focuses on “economic expansion, job opportunities, and poverty reduction.”
In the second phase of RHEI, the NDE plans to train 41,307 individuals nationwide in over 30 skill areas, including vocational trades, entrepreneurship, agriculture, ICT, and public works.
“We’ve ensured inclusivity by selecting at least four participants from each of Nigeria’s 8,809 electoral wards,” Agara stated, adding that 14,457 beneficiaries will receive starter packs to launch their careers.
In his opening remarks, NDE’s Head of Vocational Skills Development in Sokoto, Abubakar Idris Usman, urged participants to seize the opportunity, noting, “You were chosen among many for this transformative program.
Representing the Sokoto beneficiaries, Zainab Mohammed and Abdullahi Shua’ibu expressed gratitude to the NDE and pledged to represent their families, state, and the President’s initiative with pride.
