The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has appealed to the Adamawa State government to partner with it in resettling hundreds of beneficiaries trained under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI).

The NDE said that inadequate funding has slowed the empowerment of qualified trainees despite the successful completion of their skills acquisition programmes.

The appeal came as the Directorate resettled 42 beneficiaries in the first batch of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI) Phase II in Yola, with assurances that other qualified trainees would receive their starter packs as soon as funds become available.

Speaking during the resettlement ceremony, the Director-General of NDE, H.E. Silas Agara, represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Edmund Onwuliri, described the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative as a flagship Federal Government intervention designed to equip unemployed youths, women and other vulnerable groups with marketable skills for self-employment and economic empowerment.

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He said that no fewer than 1,012 beneficiaries were trained across Adamawa State under RHEI Phase II, but only 42 were being empowered in the first batch.

“The resettlement exercise will be carried out in batches, while beneficiaries yet to be empowered will receive their resettlement support as funds become available,”

He urged the beneficiaries to make productive use of the starter packs, stressing that the objective of the programme was to enable them establish sustainable businesses and ultimately become employers of labour rather than job seekers.

Speaking on behalf of the Director-General, Onwuliri disclosed that the Directorate had successfully trained 2,358 unemployed persons in Adamawa State under Phases I and II of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative.

He further revealed that while 121 beneficiaries were successfully resettled under Phase I, only 42 had received starter packs under Phase II because of funding limitations..

“The Directorate’s mandate extends beyond skills acquisition to ensuring that trained beneficiaries establish sustainable enterprises through the provision of starter packs and work tools,” he said while appealing to the state government to support the resettlement of the remaining qualified beneficiaries.

Responding, the Adamawa State Chief of Staff, Dr. Amos Edgar, commended the NDE for what he described as its sustained commitment to youth empowerment and employment generation in the state.

He said the Directorate’s mandate aligns with the state’s development priorities, noting that the establishment of the Ministry of Entrepreneurship Development underscores the government’s determination to tackle unemployment through enterprise development.

According to him, unemployment and poverty remain major challenges in Adamawa, while programmes such as the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative provide practical solutions capable of reducing unemployment, promoting entrepreneurship and addressing insecurity.

Edgar assured the NDE delegation that the state government would explore areas of collaboration to facilitate the resettlement of the remaining trainees under Phase II.

Earlier at the ceremony, the Director of Vocational Skills Development, Mr. Chris Bamsida, reaffirmed the Directorate’s commitment to creating jobs and promoting sustainable livelihoods through vocational skills acquisition and enterprise development.

He also commended the cordial working relationship between the Directorate and the Adamawa State Government, particularly through the Ministry of Entrepreneurship Development, saying the collaboration had strengthened skills development initiatives in the state.

Bamsida congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to deploy the starter packs responsibly in establishing viable businesses capable of creating additional employment opportunities.

Representing the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Ibrahim Musa Dauda congratulated both the beneficiaries and the Directorate on the successful implementation of the programme and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to providing policy support towards achieving the Directorate’s employment generation mandate.

Also speaking, the representative of the Adamawa State Commissioner for Entrepreneurship Development, Dr. Abilbakiriya Yusufu Peter, warned beneficiaries against selling the equipment provided to them.

He recalled that previous empowerment programmes had suffered setbacks because some beneficiaries disposed of their starter packs instead of using them to establish businesses.

He urged them to demonstrate discipline, accountability and hard work, while assuring that the state government would monitor and evaluate the 42 beneficiaries to ensure the success of the initiative.

On behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr. Iliyasu A. Abdullahi expressed appreciation to the Federal Government and the National Directorate of Employment for equipping them with practical skills and providing the tools needed to become self-reliant and economically productive.

The event also featured the inspection and presentation of starter packs to the beneficiaries, while the NDE later presented a plaque of appreciation to the Adamawa State Government in recognition of its continued support for the Directorate’s employment and entrepreneurship programmes.