The Federal Government, on Friday, launched the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI), aimed at providing job opportunities for 93,731 unskilled and unemployed Nigerians.
The initiative, which will be implemented by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), is designed to engage beneficiaries across 8,809 electoral wards, with a focus on inclusiveness and skills development.
READ ALSO: Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda a reality – Wike
During the flag-off event at the Bwari Area Council in Abuja, NDE Director-General, Silas Agara, revealed that the program would include a minimum of 10 beneficiaries from each electoral ward, who will undergo training in 30 different skill sets across four core NDE programmes.
Agara also highlighted that 3,000 slots have been specifically allocated for persons with special needs in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Agara noted that 40,000 of the beneficiaries would receive training in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and digital skills, preparing them for the global job market. “The Renewed Hope Employment Initiative is our modest short-term effort at addressing the scourge of unemployment in Nigeria,” he said.
The initiative aims to support various categories of unskilled and unemployed individuals, including school leavers, school dropouts, women, university graduates, retirees, and persons with special needs. “Inclusiveness has been a cardinal consideration as we designed this programme,” Agara added.
The programme includes four main components: Vocational Skills Development, Small Scale Enterprises, Rural Employment Promotion, and Special Public Works. Agara emphasized that, after training, many beneficiaries would be resettled into entrepreneurial activities through the provision of tools, equipment, and startup capital. For those who cannot be immediately resettled, the NDE will help facilitate connections with credit-granting institutions for further support.
In his address, Agara also highlighted the use of cutting-edge technology in the program’s design and execution. “All applicants registered through our online portal, enabling us to establish, for the first time, a credible database of our beneficiaries,” he said.
