By Nahum Sule (Taraba State Correspondent, in Jalingo)
The Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, through the Chief Rural Promotion Assistant, Mac Bernard Ishaya, says the Directorate has engaged 41 idle Taraba State youths in the Graduate Attachment Program (GAP).
In a supervising and Tour visit in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital, the Director Special Public Works, Mrs. Rosaline Olawuni, who was represented by Mac Bernard Ishaya, says, the directorate have recruited 41 youths across the three senatorial zones of the state, of which 14 are females and 27 males.
Speaking during the supervision of the GAP program in Jalingo, Ishaya said GAP is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari administration's desire to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
In his words, he asserts that, "I'm supervising a Graduate Attachment Program in Taraba which is purposely meant to reduce the number of unemployed youths in Nigeria. So far, we have recruited 41 youths and they have been trained between the period of 14th to 20th September, 2022.
"Unemployment, especially among graduates of tertiary institution, is, without mincing words, very embarrassing to both the government and the graduates. This necessitated the management of the NDE to introduce GAP. The NDE will generate data from all those who participated and forward them to the Federal Executive Council through the Minister of Labour and Employment for consideration", he said.
Ishaya further stated that the head office has adequately provided logistics, tour allowance, transport, accommodation and feeding for the program in Taraba.
In an interview with some of the beneficiaries, one Mr. Abdulwahab Yusuf Haruna living with disability, lauded the NDE for introducing the program and also called for it's sustenance.
During the tour at the Taraba State University, Dr Akintade Afolabi Rotimi, Director Research and Development who supervise some of the beneficiary said GAP has finally fulfilled the major objectives of GAP by permanently employing one Mr. Chia Asuaga after the program period.
GAP also planned, in subsequent time, to increase the numbers of participants in the program. Ishaya who supervised the program, thanked the Directorate for the opportunity, and also stated that the NDE will provide exit loans strategy for exited GAP beneficiaries. NNL.
