From Ankeli Emmanuel, Sokoto
Sokoto State Coordinator of National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Abdulkarim Sirika, has appealed to unemployed Nigerian youths to embrace skills and entrepreneurship rather than waiting for white-collar jobs that are not really available.
According to Sirika, rather than waiting for the usual 30 days to get salary, a skilled or entrepreneurial person earns income almost every day.
Sirika, who delivered a keynote address on behalf of the Director General of NDE, Malam Abubakar Nuhu Fipko, at the flag-off ceremony of 2024 Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme for 50 participants (SADTS) in Sokoto affirmed that, “skills acquisitions should be a deliberate choice for self-reliance and effective contributors into the socio-economy of the nation”.
He added: “The Directorate has been carrying out its responsibilities through sensitization, counselling, de-radicalization and re-orienting the minds of unemployed youths to deemphasize the search for non-existent white-collar jobs and embrace skills acquisition as a deliberate choice for self-reliance and effective contribution to the socio-economic development of the nation.”
Speaking earlier in her welcome address, the acting Head of Rural Employment Department, in Sokoto, Hajiya Palmata Hassan, said the NDE was helping to curb mass unemployment, reduce rural-urban drift and improve the agricultural sector in Nigeria.
Continuing, Hassan said the 50 participants for the training were drawn from 3 LGAs of Sokoto, adding they will undergo 3 months of training that covers both theory and practicals sessions in animal husbandry, poultry farming, vegetable production ranging from using mechanized farming techniques, artificial insemination in animals and improved modern seedlings.
In his charge to the 50 participants, NDE Director of Rural Employment Department in Abuja represented by Mr Joshua Fagbemi, said the programme will prepare them to become reliable players in the agricultural value chain.
“”As a farmer you can derive interest in either transporting goods, storage, professing or even marketing depending on the value chain you desired”, Fagbemi advised.
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