National Directorate of Employment (NDE), has commenced the training of unemployed youths in waste recycling under the Public Works Scheme (PWS) in Taraba State.
Director-General of the agency, Mallam Abubakar Fikpo made the declaration on Thursday at the Flag-off and Orientation Ceremony for the Entrepreneurialship Development Programme for Participants of the Public Works Scheme in Jalingo.
Fikpo, who was represented by Alhaji Shehu Danjuma said that the initiative was to provide skills to unemployed youths in waste recycling as an aspect of achieving Waste to Wealth in Nigeria.
He said the scheme was also aimed at providing a source of livelihood to unemployed youths through recycling waste resources for present and future generations.
He further noted that the orientation would improve the standard of living of most Nigerian youths as well as impact positively on climate change in their environments.
Fikpo said that the scheme was designed to provide skills in various components of waste recycling to the youths and also empower them to be self-employed upon the completion of their three months of training.
He said that the scheme which commenced in 2019 in other states was designed to be implemented in three phases in Taraba falling into the third phase.
He urged the participants to take advantage of the window to become self-reliant adding that such would do good to the individuals as well as Nigerian society.
The Director-General commended President Muhammadu Buhari for graciously adopting the initiative toward ensuring its full implementation of job creation.
In her remark, Hajiya Jummai Umar, Head of the Public Works Scheme Department said that 30 participants in the scheme were drowned from all the 16 local government areas in the state.
She said that the participants would be paid N10,000 monthly throughout the training.
She said participants would be deployed to various organizations to learn skills in waste recycling and management.
She advised them to be diligent as some organizations have poised to retain good ones upon the completion of their training.
In his speech, Mallam Sani Iliyasu, Village Head of Jalingo, advised the participants to take their training as a means of ending poverty to them.
Iliyasu also urged them to replicate their knowledge being acquired to others who might not have the opportunity to benefit from this scheme.
He commended the Federal government for using NDE in developing such a wholesome scheme.He said that the scheme would impact positively on their immediate environment through waste disposal.
Mr. Iliyasu Mohammed, one of the participants who spoke on behalf of other participants commended the federal government for the scheme.
Mohamed gave assurance that the participants would make Nigerians proud after the training.
He admitted that the scheme would go a long way in addressing the youth unemployment situation in Taraba in particular and the country at large.
Sani Sulaiman
