The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has launched new digital inclusion programmes aimed at equipping Nigerian youths with technology-driven skills to boost employment and close the country’s widening digital skills gap.
The initiative, unveiled on Thursday in Awka, Anambra State, marks a strategic shift by the agency from traditional vocational training to information and communication technology (ICT)-based learning, in response to global job market trends.
Speaking to journalists, Mr. Ebere Anaba, the Anambra State Coordinator of the NDE, said the move formed part of the agency’s broader plan to prepare young Nigerians for the modern economy through training in digital fields such as data processing, web design, digital marketing, and coding.
“The NDE was established in 1986 to tackle rising youth unemployment and social unrest,” Anaba explained. “Since inception, we have trained over 10 million Nigerians in various vocational fields. But the world has gone digital, and we must now equip our youths with skills and opportunities that match today’s realities.”
He urged young Nigerians to embrace technology as a pathway to self-employment rather than relying solely on government jobs.
“These jobs are not only in offices; they are in your hands and your devices,” he said. “Once you are determined, opportunities will come — and the NDE is here to guide and train you.”
Anaba, however, identified poor electricity supply, insecurity, limited internet access, and lack of start-up capital as major barriers to achieving widespread digital inclusion.
“Even when youths are willing to learn online, many cannot afford data or laptops,” he lamented.
The NDE coordinator called for stronger collaboration between government and the private sector to expand access to digital opportunities and make digital tools more affordable. He also proposed that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme be reformed to include compulsory digital and entrepreneurial training.
“Imagine every corps member leaving NYSC as a certified web designer, data analyst, or digital marketer. That’s the kind of future Nigeria needs,” he said.
According to him, the NDE’s digital transformation agenda, driven by its Director-General, Mr. Silas Agara, aims to make Nigerian youths globally competitive and employable in an increasingly digital world.
