President Bola Tinubu’s administration has announced plans to train approximately 40,000 Nigerians in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and digital skills under the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI).
Out of the program’s 93,731 beneficiaries, 3,000 slots have been specifically reserved for individuals with special needs, according to the Director General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Honourable Silas Agara.
Speaking at the official launch of the RHEI at the NDE Skills Acquisition Center in Kuduru, Bwari Area Council, Abuja, Agara explained that each state, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), would receive 81 slots from the reserved 3,000 positions.
He added that some participants would be supported in transitioning to entrepreneurship with tools, equipment, and startup capital, while the government is engaging financial institutions to ensure adequate support for all beneficiaries.
He said: “The current employment initiative has been designed to engage a total of 93,731 unskilled and unemployed persons across Nigeria.
“Inclusiveness has been a cardinal consideration as we designed this programme. We have ensured that a minimum of 10 persons from each of the 8,809 electoral wards in Nigeria were recruited to benefit from the 30 skills set across our four core programs of vocational skills development, small-scale enterprises, rural employment promotion and special public works.
“Furthermore, various categories of the unskilled and unemployed have been provided for within the framework of the programme, such as school leavers, school dropouts, women, graduates of tertiary institutions, retirees and persons with special needs, among others.
“I would like to add that after the training, a good number of the beneficiaries will be resettled into productive entrepreneurial lives through the provisions of tools, equipment and startup capital.
“However, those that we are not able to resettle will be linked with credit Granting Institutions for further support.”
The NDE Director General assured that under his watch, the directorate has ensured the adoption of cutting-edge technology in the design and execution of the programme.
“I am delighted to inform you that 40,000 out of the 93,731 persons enrolled in this programme will be receiving training in ICT and digital skills. This is a deliberate step by the NDE in order to equip our youths with emerging skills that will enable them to become globally competitive,” he added.
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