FG engages 27,000 Borno youths in public works

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri, has said 27,000 youths are engaged in Special Public Works (SPW) of the National Directorate of Employment in Borno.
 
According to him, the creation of 27,000 jobs in 27 councils will cost the Federal Government about N1.62 billion.
 
While flagging off the programme on Wednesday, in Maiduguri, he said: “Specifically in this SPW job creation programme, 27,000 unemployed youths and women from all councils in Borno State are selected to benefit directly,” he said, noting that N1.62 billion was earmarked for participants’ three months allowances.
 
“Today marks the actualization of the most grassroots based employment initiative in the history of the country.”
 

The Director-General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Abubakar Fikpo, said: “We’re determined to meet the targets in job creation implementation in Borno State,” adding that the SPW programme had been designed to improve the lives of 774,000 unemployed youths in three months.
 
He said communities’ public works, including drainage evacuation and feeder roads maintenance; irrigation and the Great Green Wall are to be executed.
 
According to him, appropriate working tools, protective wears have also been provided to participants, and therefore urged them to cooperate with NDE to fully implement the job creation programme.
 
On vocational skills development in the state, Shehuri said: “Over 10,435 youths, women and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were trained and resettled under the open apprenticeship scheme and cosmetology.”
 
He added that under the small scale enterprises programme, 21,369 IDPs, youths and women were also trained and resettled under Agriculture Small Scale and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS), CBN and NDE collaboration.
 
While in the rural employment promotion programme, 1,593 unemployed persons were also trained and supported through Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme.