The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) says it has begun the training of 30 unemployed persons on environmental beautification skills in Imo.
The Director-General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo, disclosed this at the inauguration of the exercise in Owerri, on Wednesday.
Nuhu-Fikpo, represented by the Imo Coordinator of the NDE, Mrs Chisara Egwim-Chima, said the 30 trainees drawn from all 27 council areas of Imo, would undergo training for a period of three months.
He pointed out that the training, organised by the directorate’s Department of Special Public Works (SPW), was aimed at equipping unemployed persons with viable skills to enable them earn a living without necessarily waiting for white collar jobs.
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for continuing to use the NDE in the reduction of unemployment and urged beneficiaries to make the best use of the skills to be taught.
“ You are the fortunate few selected from among a pool of applicants and I congratulate you.
“My advice is that you show commitment to the training and listen to your trainers so that in turn, you will make excellent entrepreneurs and be able to further reduce the unemployment rate in Nigeria “, he said.
Speaking, Egwim-Chima, a lawyer, who was represented by Mrs Theresa Nwachukwu, an Assistant Director with the directorate, advised the trainees “to take the training serious, as a lot of money had been expended on the exercise”.
She also thanked the director of the SPW department, Mrs Roseline Olaomi, for her tireless efforts in promoting training programs for Nigerians through the department.
Also, the directorate’s Head of Department, SPW in Imo, Mrs Kechikarere Anochiri, mentioned the skills to be taught to include soft and hard landscaping as well as Plaster of Paris (POP).
She added that the directorate would present the trainees with start-up packages at the end of the training period.
One of the trainees for hard landscaping, Mr Ebere Osuagwu, thanked the NDE for the opportunity and promised to make the best use of the skills learned.
