NDE to provide 800, 000 Jobs through Agriculture

youth farmer

As part of efforts to complement the Federal Government’s diversification policy, the National Directorate of Employment has disclosed plans to create over 800, 000 jobs in the Agricultural sector.

The Acting Director General, Kunle Obayan who stated this, informed that the directorate plans to achieve this by engaging 720, 000 unemployed youths in agriculture through the Anchor Borrowers Scheme of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“11, 100 unemployed persons cutting across all ages and status will be trained in the rural areas in agribusiness skills in 2017. A total of 5, 500 direct jobs are expected from this initiative. Subject to availability of funds, 1, 850 persons will receive agribusiness starter packs from the NDE in 2017”, he explained.

Speaking on the progress of this project, Obayan said the NDE in 2016 lunched the smart farmer scheme (NDE REMIS), an Information Communication Technology based platform capable of creation 490, 000 jobs in the next three years.

Expressing confidence on the present administration’s agenda to tackle youth unemployment, he called on Nigerian youths  to embrace the various vocational and skills acquisition programmes being introduced by government.

The Acting DG however called for improved budgetary allocation for recruitment of agents who will enforce the project.