The Edo State Government through the Office of the First Lady is forging a partnership with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), to drive job creation initiatives as part of the administration of Sen. Monday Okpebholo to turn out skillful entrepreneurs in the State.
The prospective partnership was negotiated by the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Edesili Anani with NDE delegates in an engagement at the Government House in Benin City.
She appreciated the critical role of small businesses as the backbone of every economy, highlighting their potential to drive innovative growth through job creation, while advocating the need to leverage the Small Business Sector for sustainable development.
“Entrepreneurship is the foundation of every society. The truth is that no society can be successful without entrepreneurs. Small-scale businesses drive the economy because they start from the bottom, the grassroots level, where money circulates more freely. With more local residents involved in these businesses, we’ll have a robust Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) contributing to Federal and State revenues”. Mrs. Anani asserted.
She appreciated the Directorate for its programme, which aims to engage youth in productive activities and steer them away from harmful practices, commending the Development Graduate Attachment Programme for providing job experience to graduates and bridging the gap between education and employment .
Mrs. Anani further advised the Directorate to increase publicity, especially through radio in order to reach more people and encourage participation, while advocating the importance of empowering women, citing their significant role in society, their influence on families and the economy. She stated that empowering women is crucial, as it has a multiplier effect on the entire system, benefiting men, children, and the economy.
The coordinator cited the “From Farm to Table” agricultural empowerment programme as an example, explaining that the initiative encourages women to engage in small-scale farming, even in their backyards, to promote healthy eating and food security.
Mrs. Anani restated the Programme’s impact on empowering women to take control of their food production through the provision of farming tools and seeds. She reminded that the Programme’s competition promises the woman with the best home farm, a winning prize of ₦1 million.
On his part, the State Coordinator of NDE, Mr. James Ikanoba, in his remark, highlighted the Directorate’s achievements in addressing various areas of skills’ gap and catering for diverse groups through numerous programmes and extensive trainings to ameliorate the rate of unemployment in the Country.
Mr. Ikanoba said, “We’ve tackled various areas, catering for diverse groups, including those with or without formal education, students in primary, secondary, and higher institutions, and retirees. We’ve designed numerous programmes to meet the Council’s needs. We’ve conducted extensive trainings over the years.”
He also outlined various initiatives aimed at empowering individuals across multiple sectors including agriculture, vocational skills, small-scale industries, and infrastructure development.
According to him, the programmes target diverse demographics, such as youth, women, and retirees, with a focus on providing training, job experience, and support.
The State Coordinator announced the NDE’s recent launch of online recruitment for the second phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative. He restated that the registration period, which commenced 28th July, 2025, and scheduled to end 11th August, 2025, offers opportunities in four key areas including Rural Employment Promotion Programme, Small Scale Enterprises Programme, Vocational Skills Development Programme, and Special Public Works Programme.
Meanwhile, the Senior Information Officer of the National Directorate of Employment, Mr. Oluchi Okuone, emphasized that job creation is not just about white-collar jobs, but also about empowering artisans, small-scale industries, and informal sector workers, who drive the economy. According to him, the Government is taking a cue from countries like Singapore and China to support these sectors through programmes like Vocational Skills Development and Small-Scale Enterprise Initiatives.
Gloria Osemudiamhen
Public Relations Officer
Office of the First Lady
Edo State
PHOTO CAPTION
Middle: The Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani with NDE delegates in an engagement at the Government House in Benin City.
