The Nigerian Government has launched the third phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI), a nationwide programme aimed at equipping 26,961 unemployed Nigerians with market-driven vocational and entrepreneurial skills to promote self-employment and economic empowerment.
The Anambra State Coordinator of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Pastor Don Anaba, called on unemployed youths across the state’s 326 political wards in the 21 local government areas to register for the programme.
In a statement issued in Awka on Saturday, Anaba said beneficiaries would be drawn from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with Anambra expected to receive its share of participants.
He said successful applicants would receive training in more than 70 vocational and entrepreneurial trades tailored to current labour market demands, with the aim of enhancing employability, encouraging self-reliance and supporting sustainable economic development.
According to him, beneficiaries who successfully complete the training will also receive resettlement support, including starter packs, work tools and equipment, to enable them to establish businesses and become financially independent.
Anaba described the initiative as part of the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing unemployment, promoting entrepreneurship and stimulating grassroots economic growth across the country.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, officially unveiled the online registration portal for the programme in Abuja on Thursday.
According to Anaba, the minister said the initiative is a key component of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to equip unemployed Nigerians with practical, demand-driven skills that will enable them to become self-reliant and economically productive.
Dingyadi said beneficiaries would be selected from Nigeria’s 8,809 political wards to ensure fairness, inclusiveness and equitable distribution of opportunities, adding that the ward-based selection process is intended to extend the programme’s benefits to communities across both rural and urban areas.
The minister also acknowledged delays in the payment of stipends and the distribution of resettlement packages to beneficiaries of previous phases, attributing them to funding constraints. He, however, assured that the ministry was working with relevant government agencies to facilitate the release of funds and clear all outstanding obligations.
According to the agency, interested applicants are advised to register through the National Directorate of Employment’s official online registration portal or access the portal through the NDE’s official website adding that registration is free.
