The Nigerian Government has launched the online registration portal for the third phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative, aimed at creating decent employment opportunities for unemployed youths across Nigeria.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Mohammed Dingyadi, said the initiative underscores the government’s commitment to tackling unemployment and expanding access to sustainable livelihoods.
The Minister commended the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) for what he described as its tireless efforts in creating job opportunities through the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative.
“Since the conception of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative, the NDE, under my supervision, has demonstrated admirable and unwavering commitment to fulfilling its statutory mandate and has contributed immensely to the realisation of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“This is precisely the kind of diligence and dedication that Mr President expects of every institution under this administration, and the NDE has shown through the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative that it is equal to the task,” Dingyadi said.
He expressed satisfaction with the ward-by-ward approach adopted in selecting beneficiaries across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, describing it as an inclusive strategy that brings government interventions closer to grassroots communities.
“This strategy is not merely administrative; it is a powerful statement of this government’s resolve to stamp its presence in every community across Nigeria, no matter how remote,” he said.
According to the Minister, the initiative is helping to address some of the country’s most pressing socio-economic challenges by creating opportunities at the community level.
“Every ward touched by this initiative is a community brought closer to governance and given genuine reason to believe in the Renewed Hope this administration promises.”
Dingyadi stressed that the programme was designed as a continuous intervention rather than a one-off exercise.
“The Renewed Hope Employment Initiative is not a one-off gesture. It is a continuing programme, now in its third phase, deliberately structured to reach fresh cohorts of unemployed Nigerians phase after phase.”
Addressing concerns over delayed resettlement packages and unpaid stipends for beneficiaries of the previous phase, the Minister assured participants that the government was working with relevant authorities to release the required funds without further delay.
He also appealed to development partners, the private sector and non-governmental organisations to continue supporting the NDE, noting that addressing unemployment requires collective effort.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the NDE, Mr Silas Agara, praised President Bola Tinubu for placing job creation, human capital development and poverty reduction at the centre of his administration’s agenda.
He said the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative was conceived to translate the President’s vision into practical opportunities for unemployed Nigerians through structured skills acquisition programmes.
“The Renewed Hope Employment Initiative was designed to train unemployed Nigerians in critical sectors that drive economic growth, productivity and diversification, including agriculture, entrepreneurship, vocational skills, ICT and Special Public Works,” Agara said.
He noted that, in line with the administration’s commitment to equity and inclusion, beneficiaries are selected from every electoral ward in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to ensure that no community is excluded.
Agara disclosed that during the first phase of the initiative in 2024, the NDE trained 32,886 unemployed Nigerians, while 4,683 beneficiaries received start-up tools and financial support to establish their businesses. He added that 33,692 people were trained under the second phase.
Despite funding constraints, he said the Directorate had commenced Phase Three, targeting 26,961 unemployed Nigerians in demand-driven sectors, including agriculture, entrepreneurship, Special Public Works, ICT and technical skills.
According to him, the Phase Three registration portal has been fully digitalised and upgraded to improve transparency and efficiency.
The enhanced platform includes identity verification through the National Identification Number (NIN), automatic allocation of applicants to the nearest training centres, prevention of multiple registrations, and specialised placement of persons with disabilities into suitable training programmes.
Agara reaffirmed the Directorate’s commitment to ensuring that persons with disabilities continue to benefit from all its employment creation initiatives.
The launch was attended by several stakeholders, including the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, who was represented by the Director of General Services, Mallam Danladi Abdul Kareem.
