By Awwal Umar Kontagora The Director General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), His Excellency Silas Agara, has ex...
By Awwal Umar Kontagora
The Director General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), His Excellency Silas Agara, has expressed concern over the misuse of start-up packs distributed to beneficiaries of the agency’s empowerment programs.
Agara made the remarks on Friday during the inauguration of the Collaborative Committee for Skilled and Unskilled Training Programs between the National Board for Technical Education (NBTI) and the NDE, held at the Directorate's headquarters in Abuja.
He noted that under his leadership, the NDE has successfully trained numerous beneficiaries through three months of intensive skills acquisition programs. Trainees are provided with start-up packs and access to soft loans, aimed at supporting the economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
However, Agara lamented that some beneficiaries have resorted to selling the start-up packs instead of using them for their intended purpose. He described this trend as worrisome and warned against what he called the “quick money syndrome,” cautioning that it could jeopardize the beneficiaries’ long-term prospects and investments.
Addressing broader economic issues, the NDE DG also touched on the subject of food security. He emphasized that significant improvements could be achieved if the country’s river basins were properly utilized.
“If you consider the 10,000 hectares owned by the Benin-Owena River Basin and the other 11 river basins, there’s no reason these lands cannot contribute meaningfully to food security if put to proper use,” he stated.
Agara reaffirmed the Directorate’s commitment to collaborating with NBTI to address developmental challenges and promote economic growth.
Earlier, the Managing Director of NBTI, Mr. Femi, emphasized the importance of their partnership with the NDE, particularly in leveraging underutilized resources like river basins to empower youth through agriculture.
“Your Excellency, it may interest you to know that out of 10,000 hectares, less than 500 have been utilized, leading to encroachment for non-agricultural purposes,” Femi said. “Since the NDE is already empowering young people, partnering with the Directorate to train them in agriculture is a logical and strategic step forward.”
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