The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has commenced the registration of unemployed youths under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Employment Initiative, aimed at tackling joblessness and empowering Nigerians through skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development.
Speaking during a press briefing on Monday in Kaduna, the NDE State Coordinator, Mr. Francis Ambianto, revealed that no fewer than 21,782 youths are expected to benefit from the initiative.
He explained that the registration exercise, which began on Monday, will run until August 11, 2025, and is open to all categories of unemployed persons regardless of their educational qualifications.
“Skilled acquisition does not have barriers. Whether you are a graduate, school dropout, or never attended school, you are eligible,” Ambianto said.
He encouraged interested youths aged 18 to 40 to register online via www.nderegistrationportal.ng or www.nde.gov.ng.
Ambianto further explained that beneficiaries would be trained under various programmes, including Rural Employment Promotion (REP) — which offers agricultural training in poultry, fishery, irrigation, and animal fattening.
Other components of the initiative include Vocational Skills Development (VSD), offering training in fashion design, catering, and more; Special Public Works (SPW); and Small Scale Enterprise (SSE).
Participants will undergo a three-month training and receive a monthly transport stipend of N10,000. He added that 70 percent of participants will also qualify for soft loans after the training period.
Ambianto noted that the NDE has also designed two additional schemes targeted at graduates — the Graduate Coaching Scheme, which prepares graduates to coach secondary school students for their Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, and the Graduate Attachment Programme, which temporarily places graduates in organisations relevant to their field of study.
“All the beneficiaries of the graduate programme would receive N50,000 monthly stipends for three months,” he added.
According to him, over 600 youths in Kaduna State alone are expected to benefit from the initiative.
He assured the public of a transparent and merit-based selection process, noting that all names will be drawn from a central portal managed by the NDE Headquarters in Abuja.
“The first phase worked excellently. People were admitted without knowing anyone in the system,” he said.
“We are confident this second phase will be even more transparent and inclusive.”
