NDE flags off skills acquisition training for 690 persons in Sokoto

BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto –

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has flagged off the training for no fewer than 690 persons across the 23 Local Government Areas of Sokoto state on various skills acquisition.

Those to undergo the training include 460 Basic National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (B-NOAS) and an additional 230 graduates of B-NOAS into the Advance National Open Apprenticeship Scheme.

Speaking in his keynote address, the Director General of NDE, Malam Abubakar Nuhu Fipko said what they are doing is giving statutory mandate to their agency which is to create mass employment for unskilled and unemployed persons in Nigeria.

Fipko who was represented by the Sokoto State Coordinator of NDE, Mrs Eunice DanMalam said the training will amongst other benefits participants with modern methods of service delivery in their specific trades, enhance marketability of B-NOAS graduates, open doors to increased opportunities as well as help in curbing societal crimes.

Said Malam Filko,, “I am glad to inform you that the capacity of the NDE as the leading Federal Government Agency in skill acquisition, job creation, employment generation and poverty reduction in Nigeria has once again been demonstrated”.

While noting that they remained committed to creating sustainable decent jobs for skilled and unskilled Nigerians, the NDE boss added that, “today we are flagging off the training of 460 B-NOAS and 230 Graduate of our B-NOAS into our A-NOAS training in the 23 local government areas of Sokoto State in various vocational skills such as welding, handset repairs, motorcycle repairs, knitting, fashion design, computer appreciation and hair dressing.

In what the participants stand to gain, Mrs Eunice said the training is at no cost, adding that they will rather be entitled to stipends within the period of the training.

She further appealed to other tiers of government as well as meaning individuals to join forces with the Federal Government in the fight against mass unemployment in Nigeria.

Giving his views, one of the trainers on Dye, Tsalhatu Umar of Nasara Dye in Marina area of the state metropolis, said the NDE has been executing various programmes targeted at enabling unemployed persons to become meaningfully engaged.

Responding in behalf of the participants, Malam Iliyasu Abubakar and Rukaya Mohammed thank the NDE for finding them worthy amongst many others to be impacted with various skills free of charge.

They also promised to step down the training for others to become self sufficient.