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The second phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI) has commenced in Akwa Ibom State to create new pathways for jobs, skills acquisition and entrepreneurship among indigenes.
This is part of the federal government’s initiative under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at tackling unemployment head-on in Akwa Ibom State.
Speaking at the flag-off, Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Helen Obareki, applauded President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its commitment to job creation, describing the Renewed Hope Empowerment Initiative as “an effective measure towards tackling unemployment.”
Represented by Inemesit Uwah at the ceremony held in Uyo, Obareki urged beneficiaries to take full advantage of the scheme to achieve financial independence and contribute to Nigeria’s economy.
Obareki lauded President Bola Tinubu for addressing unemployment through the Renewed Hope Empowerment Initiative (RHEI), describing the programme as a practical expression of the Federal Government’s commitment to creating jobs under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
She said the programme is equipping Nigerians with skills that will improve their employability, entrepreneurial capacity, and financial independence.
She also commended Governor Umo Eno for aligning State programmes with federal initiatives to improve the lives of citizens, further advising the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to maintain regular monitoring of participants to ensure maximum impact and the best use of the opportunity.
She noted that Akwa Ibom’s domestication of empowerment efforts demonstrates a people-first governance approach and urged beneficiaries to use the training to transform their lives, stressing that such initiatives would not only strengthen household incomes but also expand the economy.
In his keynote address, the Director General of the National Directorate of Employment, Silas Agara, disclosed that the Federal Government trained over 30,000 unskilled and unemployed Nigerians in the first phase of RHEI, which began in December 2024.
Out of this number, 5,532 beneficiaries were resettled with loans and starter packs, while others were linked to credit-granting institutions.
Agara said the second phase would cover 41,307 Nigerians across 30 different skill areas, ranging from entrepreneurship to vocational trades, describing it as a massive leap towards curbing unemployment and stimulating grassroots economic activity.
In her remarks, the Akwa Ibom State Coordinator of the NDE, Uduak Essien, reaffirmed the directorate’s resolve to build capacities, create jobs, and sustain empowerment schemes; advising participants to see the training as a “rare privilege” demanding discipline, dedication, seriousness and commitment.
The Renewed Hope Employment Initiative, a flagship programme under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, is designed to reduce unemployment nationwide, strengthen entrepreneurship, and promote inclusive growth by equipping Nigerians with sustainable livelihoods.
Analysts say such programmes are already making visible impact by bridging Nigeria’s skills gap, supporting small businesses, and laying the foundation for sustainable economic development.