The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has announced plans to train over 21,000 Nigerians in the second phase of the Renewed Hope Job Creation Programme, which will be fully digitised to improve transparency, delivery, and impact.
Director-General of the NDE, Silas Agara, made this known on Thursday during a strategy meeting with state and zonal directors of the agency in Abuja. He stated that the new phase of the programme would build on lessons learned from the first phase, with specific efforts to address issues such as delayed stipends and misaligned training.
Agara said the initiative would focus on aligning the skill sets of participants with the economic needs of their respective states. He also revealed that the NDE is working closely with development partners and non-governmental organisations to provide both training and funding to the beneficiaries.
According to the Director-General, while 21,000 participants have been targeted as the minimum enrolment figure, the numbers could be increased depending on state performance. He emphasised the need to give states the flexibility to exhaust their quotas and maximise the impact of the programme.
Agara further disclosed that several NGOs and partners have requested access to the list of previously trained individuals, in order to provide additional support and funding. He noted that while the NDE will not dictate funding terms to banks or other partners, it will support needs assessments and due diligence for all beneficiaries.
He added that more development partners have expressed interest in joining the second phase of the programme and that their names will be made public once all agreements are finalised.
The first phase of the Renewed Hope initiative, launched in December 2024, targeted more than 93,000 unskilled and unemployed Nigerians across all electoral wards in the country. Each ward had a minimum of 10 beneficiaries, with emphasis on marginalised groups including women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly.
Approximately 40,000 participants received ICT and digital skills training under the scheme, which is jointly implemented by the NDE and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Agara affirmed that the second phase would go further in building a digitally skilled, self-reliant workforce capable of contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s evolving economy.
