In a significant move towards addressing the issue of youth unemployment and poverty in Nigeria, the Youth Empowerment and Social Support Operations (YESSO 2.0) has announced a strategic partnership with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE). This collaboration is set to provide a lifeline for thousands of vulnerable youths in the country.
Comrade Richard Romanus, the National Programme Manager of YESSO 2.0, revealed the details of this partnership during a delegation visit to the NDE National office in Abuja. The primary objective of the visit was to garner support and collaboration from stakeholders to achieve the set goals for the commencement of the YESSO 2.0 program.
Comrade Romanus emphasized the readiness of his team to work closely with the NDE to enhance employment opportunities for thousands of Nigerian youths, aligning with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The common goal is to liberate more Nigerian youths from the clutches of poverty under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
“We have identified NDE as a major player in the success of YESSO 1.0; hence, we are here to seek the same support to make YESSO 2.0 even bigger and more successful. We have quite a number of programs lined up for implementation that will enable the teeming youth population to become gainfully empowered and maximize their entrepreneurial potential,” stated the National Programme Manager.
Comrade Romanus emphasized that many youths are unemployed not because there are no job opportunities but due to a lack of marketable skills. YESSO’s focus is on training these youths in marketable skills, and their partnership with NDE will be instrumental in achieving this goal. The aim is to make these young individuals self-employed, self-reliant, and provide them access to startup funds when possible.
In response to this partnership, the Director General of NDE, represented by the Director of Vocational Skills Development, Mr. Issah Abdu, expressed NDE’s readiness to collaborate with any group or organization dedicated to alleviating the poverty index among unemployed youths in the country. He congratulated the new YESSO National manager and his team on their appointment, highlighting that youth empowerment should be led by the youths themselves.
Furthermore, Mr. Issah Abdu disclosed that NDE had previously collaborated with the World Bank in implementing the YESSO 1.0 Program and assured that NDE would actively partner in various programs under YESSO 2.0 to ensure its success. This collaboration, he stated, holds the potential to reduce social tension and insecurity by productively engaging the active population and addressing the issue of idle minds.
Additionally, it was revealed that NDE operates 96 vocational skills acquisition centers across the country, including agricultural centers and Mobile Training Workshop booths in rural areas, further emphasizing their commitment to skills development.
The meeting concluded with technical sessions and discussions on the possible areas of partnership, setting a promising course for a collaborative effort that aims to uplift Nigerian youths and combat poverty.
