….Calls for support to empower more trainees

….Phase III to begin in July with digital registration platform

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — The Acting Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mr. Edmund Onwuliri, has called on the Delta State Government to strengthen its partnership with the directorate to expand job creation and support the resettlement of beneficiaries trained under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI).

Onwuliri made the appeal during a working visit to Asaba, where he met with state officials and presented business start-up equipment to beneficiaries of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative.

He also paid a courtesy visit to the Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, to seek the support of the traditional institution for youth employment programmes.

During a meeting with the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Kingsley Eze Emu, who represented Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Onwuliri said closer collaboration between the NDE and the Delta State Government was essential to tackling unemployment through skills acquisition, entrepreneurship development and enterprise creation.

He disclosed that the NDE trained 891 unemployed persons across Delta State under the first phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative, while Phase II expanded the programme to 1,067 beneficiaries in vocational skills, agriculture, entrepreneurship and public works.

According to him, although 380 beneficiaries in the state were approved for resettlement under Phase II, only 33 received business start-up equipment due to funding constraints, prompting the agency to seek the state’s support for the remaining beneficiaries.

“The vision of the National Directorate of Employment remains job creation for all Nigerians. Through the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative, we are equipping beneficiaries with practical skills and providing starter packs that will enable them establish sustainable businesses and become employers of labour,” he said.

Onwuliri also announced that the third phase of the programme would commence in mid-July 2026 with an upgraded digital registration and management platform integrating the National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) to improve transparency, accountability and payment processes.

He further disclosed that the directorate, in partnership with Timeterest, had developed a digital application to enable beneficiaries market their products and services while allowing the agency to monitor the growth of their businesses.

To strengthen collaboration, Onwuliri proposed the establishment of a joint task team between the NDE and the Delta State Government to develop practical strategies for employment generation across the state.

Responding, Dr. Emu reaffirmed Governor Oborevwori’s commitment to youth empowerment and employment creation, describing the NDE as a key partner in the state’s human capital development agenda.

He pledged that the Delta State Government would support the resettlement of beneficiaries yet to receive starter packs and requested a comprehensive database containing their names, local government areas, training areas and year of training to facilitate government intervention.

The SSG also disclosed that the directorate would be linked with the state’s technical team to strengthen collaboration on employment generation initiatives.

Later, at the Federal Secretariat in Asaba, the NDE presented business start-up equipment to beneficiaries trained in tailoring, welding and fabrication, computer operations, solar installation, GSM phone repairs, carpentry, catering, electrical installation and landscaping.

Beneficiaries under the soft landscaping programme also received wheelbarrows, utility carts and water pumping machines to support their businesses.

Addressing the beneficiaries, Onwuliri urged them to regard the equipment as seed capital rather than government handouts.

“The starter packs are not merely government assistance. They are seed capital for building viable businesses. Use them responsibly, remain committed to your entrepreneurial goals and continuously strive to innovate and grow,” he said.

Dr. Emu said the initiative aligned with the Delta State Government’s commitment to human capital development and economic empowerment.

“We will continue to collaborate with the Federal Government, development partners and the private sector to expand economic opportunities for our people, particularly youths and women who remain central to our development aspirations,” he said.

Earlier, the Director of Vocational Skills Development, Mr. Chris Bamsida, urged beneficiaries to make prudent use of the equipment provided.

“The knowledge, skills and equipment you have received should serve as the foundation for building successful enterprises. Use these resources responsibly and become worthy ambassadors of the National Directorate of Employment,” he said.

In a goodwill message, the Delta State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. (Evang.) Princess Pat Ada Ajudua, recounted how she benefited from an NDE training programme in 1988, describing the agency as life-changing and urging the beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity.

Also speaking, the representative of the Executive Chairman of Oshimili South Local Government Area, Hon. Ezenyili Kelvin Obi, announced that the council had approved the use of its Skills Acquisition Centre by the NDE for future training programmes as part of efforts to promote entrepreneurship and job creation at the grassroots.

The Executive Secretary of the Delta State Technical and Vocational Education Board (TVEB), Mr. Stanley Eruemulor, commended the NDE for equipping unemployed Nigerians with marketable skills and pledged the board’s continued collaboration in advancing technical and vocational education across the state.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Miss Yelloa Esther, a catering trainee, thanked the Federal Government and the NDE for the support and pledged that beneficiaries would use the starter packs to establish sustainable businesses.

Onwuliri concluded his visit with a courtesy call on the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, where he sought the palace’s support for the launch of RHEI Phase III and the mobilisation of more youths to participate in the directorate’s programmes.

The monarch assured the NDE of the palace’s continued support for initiatives that promote vocational training, youth empowerment and employment generation as the agency prepares to roll out the next phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative.