The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has commenced disbursement of resettlement loans to 62 beneficiaries of its pilot skills training programme in Sokoto State.
Speaking on Wednesday at the ceremony held at the Sultan Maccido Institute for Qur’anic and General Studies, Sokoto, the Director-General of NDE, Mr Silas Ali Agara, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s drive for self-reliance and job creation.
The DG, represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mrs Olutoyin Olayinka, said the beneficiaries completed their training under the Vocational Skills Development (VSD), Small Scale Enterprises (SPW) and Basic Business Training (BBT) programmes.
“Today is a significant milestone in our collective effort to transform skills acquisition into sustainable livelihoods, productive enterprises and employment opportunities,” he said.
Agara explained that the resettlement loans – N300,000 for VSD beneficiaries and N200,000 for SPW beneficiaries – were soft loans designed to bridge the gap between training and enterprise development.
He added that under the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI) Phase III, the NDE is currently training over 26,000 unemployed persons across various skill sets.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Hon. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, represented by Alhaji Harande Mahe, urged the beneficiaries to deploy the funds judiciously.
He warned them against using the loans for marriage or other non-productive ventures, noting that the Renewed Hope Agenda is positively impacting lives.
Dingyadi urged the beneficiaries to be good ambassadors of their families, communities and the state by putting the money into productive use and creating opportunities for others.
In his vote of thanks, the Sokoto State Coordinator of NDE, Malam Ibrahim Bello Magaji, said the intervention marked the beginning of new opportunities for enterprise development, self-reliance and job creation.
Also speaking, the Director, Small Scale Enterprises Department, Hajiya Amina Shetima, said the RHEI represents a transition from skills acquisition to practical economic empowerment.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Shafiu Umar and Sharatu Yusuf thanked the NDE for the opportunity and pledged to make judicious use of the loans.
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