The National Director of Employment in the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Programme said that it has package another scheme for persons with special needs.

The Director-General of the NDE, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed made this known in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, during the occasion of the disbursement of tools and equipments to graduates of the National Open Apprenticeship Scheme of the directorate, recently in Lafia.

The Director-General who was represented by of one the  Directors in his office,  said the special people includes the physically challenged persons, widows, victims of flood or erosion, displaced persons, orphans, commercial sex workers, people living with HIV/AIDS, which according to him  is aimed  at reducing open street begging, veiled begging, armed robbery and other social vices.

Others are, to remove disillusionment and instil in the beneficiaries a sense of self-worth and self-confidence through the provision of marketable skills as well as reducing their dependency on other people, thereby reducing poverty and integrate them fully into the social and economic environment.

He stated that a total number of 1,909 persons had so far been trained under this special training programme nation-wide this year and would be supported to set up their projects through institutional  collaboration with stakeholders to  prevent them from relapsing into the unemployment market.

In his welcome address, the State Co-coordinator of NDE, Mr. Dzer Nicodemus, said the NDE in Nasarawa State has settled  over 200 participants with tools and equipment with 170 tools and equipment valued at more than Seven million naira (N7,000,000)  available for disbursement.

He said the occasion would witness the disbursement of tools and equipment to the graduates of thee National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (NOAS) of the directorate in 14 different vocational trades such as welding, motor mechanic, tailoring, hair dressing, electrical installation etc.

The coordinator said the aim was to assist the beneficiaries establish and manage their own businesses for self reliance to formally inject a pool of trained artisans that will provide support service into the nation’s economy and anticipating its multiplier-effect of them becoming employers of labour in the future.

He called on government and non-governmental organizations to join hand with the NDE in order to provide job for the teaming unemployed youths especially the younger generation.

While commending the Nasarawa State Governor for adopting the NDE method of empowering the youths through skill acquisition programmes, he also called other State governments to assist the directorate with office accommodation and monitoring vehicles.

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