National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Osun State, has launched the second phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI) under the Small-Scale Enterprise (SSE) Department, with a renewed focus on job creation, skills development, and entrepreneurship for youths and women.
The event, held on September 9, 2025, began with prayers, the national anthem, and the introduction of guests, including the State Coordinator, Mr. Olarewaju Abiodun Oladele, and some of the management staffs.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Director General, His Excellency Silas Ali Agara, Mr. Oladele welcomed participants and highlighted the significance of the programme in addressing unemployment nationwide.
According to him, the second phase of RHEI is to create sustainable job opportunities and to empower Nigerians, especially the youths and women, through skill development, entrepreneurship support and access to meaningful employment.
He emphasized that the task of reducing unemployment required collective responsibility as this goal is highly demanding and needs the collective effort of participants alongside the Directorate.
The Director General said NDE is ever ready to discharge its duty with professionalism, but success also depends on the commitment and dedication of the participants and trainers to achieve the set administrative and management goals.
In his goodwill message, the Head of the SSE Department, Mr. Bamidele O.A., encouraged participants to seize the opportunity with focus and seriousness. “I admonish all participants to take this programme with total commitment and dedication, with the set purpose of acquiring the necessary skills for self-reliance.
The counselling and cooperative formation session was delivered by Mr. Abiodun Sunday, who explained the importance of determination and interest in individual career pursuit.
He equally stressed on the need for the formation of cooperative societies in sustaining small businesses and improving access to financial support. A participant later gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the trainees, expressing appreciation for the Directorate’s efforts.
The programmes implemented under the SSE department include Start Your Own Business (SYOB), the NDE–EFCC Collaborative Training, the Micro Enterprise Empowerment Scheme (MEES), and the Women Empowerment Branch.
According to official records, a total of 265 participants were initially allocated for the training, 271 were approved, and 222 are currently undergoing training. The programme duration varies between one and three months.
The department highlighted some challenges, including communication lapses caused by poor network coverage in some rural areas and difficulties faced by participants traveling long distances from remote communities, which affected punctuality.
