The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) says it is deepening its job creation strategies through digital inclusion and vocational reorientation of Nigerian youths, particularly in Anambra and other parts of the Southeast.
Speaking in Awka, the Anambra State Coordinator of the NDE, Pastor Don Ebere Anaba, said the agency has evolved from its traditional apprenticeship and agricultural programs into technology-driven initiatives that prepare young people for emerging global job markets.
Established in 1986 by the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, the NDE was created in response to growing youth unemployment and social unrest at the time.
According to Anaba, the agency’s mandate remains to reduce unemployment to the barest minimum by equipping Nigerians, especially youths, with employable and entrepreneurial skills.
He explained that the Directorate operates through four major departments including Rural Employment Promotion (REP), Vocational Skills Development (VSD), Small Scale Enterprises (SSE), and Special Public Works (SPW), each designed to train and empower different categories of unemployed citizens.
“In the early years, agriculture was our main focus. We trained people in modern farming and processing techniques through schemes like the Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme (SADTS) and the Community-Based Agricultural Training Scheme (CBATS), Organic Agricultural Training Scheme (OATS), feed formulation, fishery and Animal production” Anaba said.
“But as the world evolves, we have to expand into skill acquisition, small business development, and recently, ICT and digital entrepreneurship.
“Under the Vocational Skills Development Department, NDE runs the National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (NOAS), where trainees are posted to NDE Skill centers or attached to master trainers to learn trades ranging from tailoring, fashion and Designing catering, cosmetology, computer operations and Web designing to phone repairs, and are later supported with starter packs in the form of small loans to start their own businesses.
According to him, the Directorate also has a mobile training caravan, which is used for School-on-Wheels, which carry equipment and trainers to rural areas, making it easier for people in hard-to-reach communities to acquire skills.
Anaba noted that the NDE has embraced technology not just in its operations but also in its training contents.
“The world has gone digital, and we have keyed into that reality. Ranging from our registrations to training, we now train young people in computer appreciation, data processing, graphic design, social media optimization, web design, and digital marketing. We also collaborate with tech hubs to teach software development and coding,” he said.
He added that the Directorate’s new digital registration portal allows applicants to enroll in training programs online, choose their preferred skills, and be assigned to trainers electronically.
On how the Directorate has imparted the youth since 1986, the State Coordinator said NDE has trained more than ten million Nigerians in diverse trade skills which are currently becoming outdated trades.
Anaba emphasized that technology is now the key driver of employment across sectors, calling on all youths to key into the realities of digitization. “You are carrying a smartphone—what are you using it for? There are legitimate remote/online jobs you can do from the comfort of your home.
Despite these efforts, the NDE coordinator identified several challenges hindering youth employment and digital participation in the region.
“The inability of the formal sector to absorb even 10 percent of Nigerian youths because many of their courses are not relevant to the economic realities. So, the only solution to this problem lies in Entrepreneurship, self-employment, and sustainability options,” he stated.
Pastor Anaba also regretted that many youths who had been trained lack startup capital, while others still look down on vocational skills acquisition as inferior.
He acknowledged infrastructural and environmental constraints that undermine job creation efforts in the country.
“Poor electricity and internet service in rural areas, insecurity, bad governance and the high cost of living are factors discouraging entrepreneurship development
“You can’t train effectively or operate a small business without stable power or good roads. The harsh economic environment, he added, also limits access to digital tools and data. Even when youths want to learn online, they can’t afford data or laptops. That’s why we are appealing to the government to subsidize access to technology,” he said.
Anaba highlighted that the NDE prioritizes inclusivity in all its programs, saying their Women Employment Branch (WEB) recruits, trains and empowers women, including widows, single mothers, and other women with skills like catering, fashion designing, and bead making.
“For persons with disabilities, we provide tailored training with interpreters and adaptive tools. Recently, we trained a group of physically challenged persons in Onitsha, and many are now employers of labour,” he said.
To make employment programs more effective, Anaba called for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors, as well as consistency in government policies.
He also advocated for reforming of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme to emphasize practical digital and entrepreneurial training time.
Pastor Don Anaba urged young people to embrace learning, innovation, and self-reliance rather than waiting for scarce government jobs, adding that with nearly four decades of experience in job creation, the NDE’s evolution into a digital-oriented agency marks a major step toward equipping Nigerian youths for a technology-driven economy.
