NDE Empowers 169 Beneficiaries with Self Sufficiency Materials in Taraba
Serah Muduwa
National Directorate of Employment Taraba State held a resettlement and disbursement ceremony of the beneficiaries of 93, 731 renewed hope job creation initiative of the Federal Government of Nigeria for job creation poverty alleviate and economic self sufficiency.
The Flagging-off of the Resettlement and Disbursement ceremony took place on Tuesday, 25th March 2025, in Jalingo, the capital city with all the beneficiaries present, including people living with special needs.
Out of the 978 recruited and documented beneficiaries who have undergone rigorous training in various skill sets in Taraba State, 169 selected received empowerment support both in cash and in-kind.
Speaking at the occasion, the Director General of the NDE, Mr Silas Agara the one hundred and sixty-nine were among the ninety-three thousand seven hundred and thirty-one beneficiaries nationwide.
Agara, represented by the Taraba State Coordinator of the NDE, Mr Chris Bamsida explained that the disbursement was a collaborative effort to reduce unemployment and empower unemployed youths in the state.
According to the DG, the disbursement and resettlement should be viewed beyond financial support, stressing that it symbolised hope, empowerment, and the transformation of lives.
Mr Silas Agara maintained that the initiative is a testament to the commitment of the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to job creation, poverty alleviation, and economic self-sufficiency.
The Director General stressed that the NDE was investing in skills development and entrepreneurship not only to reduce unemployment but also to foster economic growth, enhance productivity, and strengthen the local communities.
According to him, these empowered individuals will, in turn, become employers of Labour, creating a ripple effect that would benefit families, communities and the state at large.
Earlier, Mr Sulaiman Bwala, Head of Department of Small Scale Enterprise (SSE) at the NDE in Taraba, advised beneficiaries to make good use of the empowerment equipment, recalling that the programme, which was launched in December 2024, had trained beneficiaries in diverse skills towards employment generation.
The Member representing Ardo Kola, Karim Lamido, and Lau Federal Constituency from Taraba State, Abdullahi Muhammed Lauya, represented by Dr. Isa Muhammed charged the beneficiaries to the gesture as a trust and as a way to empower themselves, as well as be committed to becoming employers of labour.
Dr. Isa Muhammed who is also the PG Coordinator in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the Taraba State University, said, Lauya is the only Federal Lawmaker from the state who partnered with NDE and empowered eighty beneficiaries from his Constituency and commended the state Coordinator, Mr Chris Bamsida for his effort and commitment.
Also in a goodwill message, a Member representing Jalingo, Yerro, and Zing Federal Constituency, Sadiq Tafida, represented by a senior legislative aid, Engr. Yusuf Iliya JP reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the NDE in achieving the set goals of the Renewed Hope Empowerment Initiative and called on the beneficiaries to desist from selling the items.
On his part, the Chief of Staff of TY Danjuma Government House Jalingo, Mr Jeji Williams Mni, represented by Hon. Yakubu Gagare, warned the beneficiaries not to be wicked by refusing to mentor others to also become self-reliance in society and appreciated the federal government the initiative.
Some of the beneficiaries, Mr Sunday Francis and Hadiza Idris (a cripple), in an interview, thanked the federal government and the directorate for the empowerment, adding that the kind gesture has changed their nomenclature from nobody to somebody and expressed commitment to becoming employers of labour.
Recall that the programme was launched in December 2024 to empower the unemployed with skills and entrepreneurship development.
