By Joan Nwagwu
The Federal Government has urged the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to prioritise precise job creation over coaching figures to make sure measurable employment outcomes.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Dingyadi, stated this on the unveiling of NDE’s five-year strategic plan for 2027–2031 on Friday in Abuja.
Dingyadi, represented by Dr Kamil Shoretire, Permanent Secretary within the ministry, stated the plan ought to translate into actionable programmes, practical targets and measurable efficiency indicators.
“The true value of a strategic plan lies not merely in its development or inauguration, but in its effective implementation.
“We must look beyond the number of persons trained to consider the number who secure jobs, establish viable enterprises, improve their incomes, and sustain their livelihoods.
“I encourage all stakeholders to sustain their engagement and support for the implementation of this plan so that its objectives can translate into tangible benefits for Nigerians.”
The minister urged the NDE to make sure that girls, younger folks, individuals with disabilities and different susceptible teams had equitable entry to abilities growth, entrepreneurship help and sustainable employment alternatives.
Earlier, the Director-General of NDE, Mr Silas Agara, stated the 2027–2031 strategic plan offered a roadmap for tackling unemployment, strengthening abilities growth and increasing sustainable job alternatives throughout Nigeria.
Agara stated the plan would transfer the directorate from fragmented interventions to a coordinated, evidence-based and results-oriented strategy, aligning its programmes with evolving labour market calls for.
“The NDE is not merely unveiling a policy document, but setting out a clear strategic direction for the next five years.
“It reaffirms our institutional purpose and strengthens our commitment to creating employment opportunities, developing skills, promoting entrepreneurship and improving the livelihoods of Nigerians.
“Our collective resolve is to move from fragmented interventions towards a more coordinated, evidence-based, measurable and results-oriented approach to employment promotion,” he added.
He stated implementation would require clear tasks, ample assets, measurable targets and efficient monitoring, with the plan built-in into annual work plans, budgets and efficiency evaluation techniques.
Agara stated the directorate operated 87 Skills Training Centres, alongside Agricultural Training Centres and Common Facility Centres, a lot of which required rehabilitation, upgrading or full overhaul to satisfy present coaching calls for.
He known as for sustained authorities, growth accomplice and personal sector help to modernise the services, harmonise coaching curricula and strengthen post-training help for beneficiaries looking for jobs or establishing viable enterprises.
Agara recommended the governments of Germany and Switzerland, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), GIZ and different stakeholders for supporting the plan’s growth, expressing confidence in stronger partnerships and improved employment outcomes.
The ILO Country Director, Ms Vanessa Phala, represented by Mrs Chinyere Emeka-Anuna, Head of Programmes, recommended the NDE for creating the strategic plan.
Phala stated the plan would strengthen employment promotion, first rate work and livelihood growth whereas enhancing the responsiveness and inclusiveness of employment interventions throughout Nigeria.
She stated the plan aligned with the targets of the National Employment Policy 2025, offering a framework for strengthening institutional capability and addressing altering labour market calls for.
“The result is a plan that is grounded in evidence, shaped by stakeholders’ inputs, and aligned with the evolving realities of Nigeria’s labour market and employment landscape,” she stated.
Phala stated the technique’s emphasis on demand-driven abilities growth, entrepreneurship, enterprise development and inclusive employment would broaden financial alternatives, significantly for susceptible teams.
She recognized the proposed fashionable public employment service, improved labour market data techniques and stronger organisational capability as important measures for enhancing providers to job seekers, employers and entrepreneurs.
The ILO nation director urged stakeholders to make clear institutional tasks, align assets and partnerships, and use monitoring and analysis mechanisms to trace progress and strengthen accountability.
She reaffirmed the ILO’s dedication to supporting the Federal Government and social companions in translating the National Employment Policy and NDE strategic plan into sensible enhancements in employment alternatives and livelihoods.(NAN)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru
