The Small Scale Enterprises (SSE) programme is one of the four core programme of the NDE designed to inculcate in the unemployed Nigerian graduates and other interested persons, the spirit of entrepreneurship, creativity and self-reliance with a view to assisting them set up their own businesses in order to create employment for themselves and other Nigerians.

The Department provides business training and facilitates the establishment of micro-businesses as a means of job generation and wealth creation.

The business training programme provided by the National Directorate of Employment under the SSE Department covers Entrepreneurship Development Programme Sensitization (EDP) which introduces NYSC members to the opportunities for self-employment and identification of business opportunities, as well as business start-up and improvement programmes for school leavers and retired persons. The Department further empowers graduates of business trainings with soft loans as “business start-up capitals”.

Schemes of the Small Scale Enterprises Department

The SSE Programme Department is implemented through the following schemes, viz:Entrepreneurship Development Programme Sensitization (EDP)

The programme is specifically for National Youth Service Corps members at the Orientation Camps. It is meant to sensitize them on available opportunities outside employment and how they could obtain assistance to setup their own businesses. Officers of the department are deployed to the orientation camps to sensitize and counsel corps members on how to articulate and write bankable feasibility reports.

Enterprise Creation Fund for Graduates

The scheme provides starter packs in cash or equipment to beneficiaries of the various training of the programme to practice their skills-entrepreneurially vocationally/technically.

The SSE Department designed the Graduate Enterprise Attachment Scheme (GEAS) to provide temporary employment opportunities for unemployed graduates of tertiary institutions. Under the scheme, participants are exposed to entrepreneurial skills while work cultures and attitudes are inculcated into them which would enhance their employability. For those that are interested in self-employment, it would give them the opportunity to acquire on-the-job training and increase their chances of success in their own businesses. The period of attachment is for six months during which participants are paid monthly stipends.

This is mainly business training and finance counseling for unemployed graduates of tertiary institutions. It is to sensitize them on the realities on the current realities of the Nigerian labour market, train them on how to properly conceptualize their business ideas and bankable business ideas. Thereafter, they are linked to sources of start-up capital from micro-finance friendly institutions.

The Preparation, Processing and Packaging Training Scheme involves the training of unemployed persons both graduates and non-graduates. The scheme is designed to equip them with the knowledge of preparation, processing and packaging of agricultural and non-agricultural products in line with international best practices. Under the scheme, beneficiaries are given practical training for two (2) weeks with identified enterprises known for specific product processing and packaging. The next stage involves training on theoretical aspect of the skills and business management training for six (6) days.

This is a programme where school leavers and artisans are given rudimentary business training. This is to prevent business failure by training participants to manage their enterprises effectively and efficiently.

Business training for graduates of tertiary institutions desiring to take up self-employment by becoming young entrepreneurs. The training is to equip participants with entrepreneurial skills that will enable them establish and manage their businesses effectively. It is mainly for unemployed graduates of tertiary Institution.

This involves the training of women and vulnerable persons in business skills to enable them establish specific skill-based enterprises within the shortest possible time

The Scheme is to train and equip both graduates and non-graduates with requisite skills to produce cultural arts and craft using modern methods and techniques while impacting business skills on them to enable them manage their businesses successfully.

In order to supplement programme as provided in the budget as well as extend outreach and network, the NDE collaborates with other partners to create employment. In this regard, the SSE Department collaborates with a number of both indigenous and international partners, thus:

• NDE/Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)
• ILO/UNDP Model Common Facility Centres
• Cards Technology Limited
• NYSC/SAED (Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurial Development).
• Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
• NERFUND (National Economic Reconstruction Fund).
• BOA (Bank of Agriculture).
• NEXIM (Nigeria Export and Import Bank)

This is designed to sensitize National Youth Service Corps members on the realities of the Nigerian labour market and to encourage them embrace self-employment as an option to wage employment. The objectives of the EDP are three-fold; to motivate and reinforce entrepreneurial traits and abilities, to build confidence of first timers to overcome the fear of failure and to assist plan their ventures with high prospects for success.

This scheme is usually carried out at the NYSC orientation camps during the orientation exercise and last for 5 days.

This scheme is delivered through the organization of business training for unemployed graduates of tertiary institutions, matured people and retirees with a view to inculcating entrepreneurial traits in them. Participants are trained in conceptualizing business ideas then crystallizing these into marketable products or services in the form of a bankable business plan. Attendance of ESDTS is a prerequisite to accessing loans under the Enterprise Creation Fund of the SSE department. Training duration is ten (10) days.

This is designed to sensitize National Youth Service Corps members on the realities of the Nigerian labour market and to encourage them embrace self-employment as an option to wage employment. The objectives of the EDP are three-fold; to motivate and reinforce entrepreneurial traits and abilities, to build confidence of first timers to overcome the fear of failure and to assist plan their ventures with high prospects for success.

This scheme is usually carried out at the NYSC orientation camps during the orientation exercise and last for 5 days.

This is designed to sensitize National Youth Service Corps members on the realities of the Nigerian labour market and to encourage them embrace self-employment as an option to wage employment. The objectives of the EDP are three-fold; to motivate and reinforce entrepreneurial traits and abilities, to build confidence of first timers to overcome the fear of failure and to assist plan their ventures with high prospects for success.

This scheme is usually carried out at the NYSC orientation camps during the orientation exercise and last for 5 days.

This is a fund set aside for the establishment of start-ups. Beneficiaries are drawn from Enterprise Start-up and Development Training Scheme (ESDTS) and the Micro Business Skills Training Scheme (MBSTS) participants whose business plans or feasibility reports have been appraised and judged viable.

The scheme is designed to provide transient employment opportunities to unemployed graduates of tertiary institutions.  It entails the posting of participants to established businesses for a period of six (6) months. This offers an opportunity for interns interested in entrepreneurship to understudy the business, acquire on-the-job training and technical-know-how of the business operations.

This project has UNDP as its technical partner and adopts the UNDP model on community engagements where the Directorate and other partners collaborate in a tripartite arrangement to establish Common Facility Centers in benefitting communities to process farm products or produce. Under the arrangement, each party plays distinct roles in project implementation and sustainability; the Local government provides the infrastructure and land, NDE the processing equipment & machinery while the host community source for raw materials and market the end product(s). Once established, the Centre is handed over to the host community to manage sustainably. The Directorate has established ten (10) CFCs in Abia, AkwaIbom, Anambra, Bauchi, Cross River, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Niger and Ondo States.

The Rural Employment Promotion is one of the core programme departments of the National Directorate of Employment charged with designing schemes to combat mass unemployment in the area of agriculture and its value chain putting into consideration the declining interest of youth in the agricultural sector.

 OBJECTIVES:

The Rural Employment Promotion (REP) Programme is designed with the following objectives;

• Generating rural employment and improving incomes through agribusiness engagements,
• Promoting the adoption of improved technologies in post-harvest handling, storage and processing and
• Promoting other non-farm rural employment activities in order to stem the rural-urban drift.

 STRATEGY

The REP Programme uses training to stimulate the interest of all categories of the unemployed persons (School leavers, Graduates of tertiary institutions, Retirees, People with special needs etc.) in the rural areas to identify business opportunities in the agricultural value chain for employment and wealth creation. It builds the capacity of participants for the successful management of different demand-driven viable agri-businesses.

ACTIVITIES

REP CURRENT SCHEMES;

• Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme (SADTS)
• Rural Agricultural Development Training Scheme (RADTS)
• Integrated Farming and Training Scheme (IFTS)
• NDE Agricultural Park Project

Agricultural Model Skills Centre

The Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme (SADTS) is a paradigm shift from the usual Rural Agricultural Training Scheme (RADTS) training which makes the agricultural production activities to be more sustainable. The target group includes Graduate of higher institutions, School leavers and Retirees.

In 2017, the scheme was piloted in 19 States namely; FCT, Anambra, Abia, Bauchi, Cross-river, Delta, Ebonyi, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, Plateau, Taraba, Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Bayelsa, Kaduna and Kebbi State. Fifty participants were recruited in each State and the FCT giving a total of 950 participants.

The success of the SADTS implementation led to the management approval for the scheme to be replicated in the 36 States and FCT. Fifty (50) participants were recruited per State thus having 1,850 participants in all. The scheme involved theoretical two weeks of training and 3 months of experiential adaptive practical training.

The Rural Agricultural Training Scheme (RADTS) is an agribusiness training designed for unemployed school leavers using experiential learning methods of on-farm demonstrations with tutorials on industry best practices in seven skills namely; Crop Production, Livestock management, Micro-livestock management, Food processing, preservation & storage, Agro-services & Farm mechanization.

Participants are also trained on enterprise management, business plan preparation, value enhancing life skills & success attitudes. They are encouraged to form co-operatives in order to benefit from the resettlement package.

The Rural Agricultural Training Scheme (RADTS) is conducted in the Agricultural Skills Training Centres (ASTC) in States where they are functional or in alternative training centre (ATC) in States without ASTC.

The NDE-ASTC has been established in twenty-six (26) States of the Federation namely; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Taraba, Zamfara and FCT.

This involves the impartation of agribusiness skills, Life skills & Success attitudes to unemployed graduates of tertiary institutions that will lead to competence in the proper management of mixed farming enterprises as agri-preneurs. Beneficiaries are empowered with loan packages to set-up mixed farms at the IFTS centre and are supported to succeed with extension, technical, business and financial advisory services and mentorship. States with IFTS centres are; Abia, Borno, Delta, Katsina, Kwara and Oyo.

The Agricultural park is an all-inclusive agribusiness cluster that is a hub of commercial activities with a high employment generation potential training, mentorship and business support.

The Agricultural Park provides solutions to barriers to successful entrepreneurship, promotes technology adoption and commercialization of products of Research & Development and generates mass employment.

The Park is designed for graduates and non-graduates. The training at the park is aimed at building the capacity of the unemployed youths with appropriate skills for successful management of technology-driven and innovative small-scale agribusinesses.

The beneficiaries will undergo a month of tutorials in Poultry & fish ration formulation, Export grade smoked fish production, Crop cultivation, Green house technologies and Business training. The established agribusiness will provide the practice and on-farm hands-on demonstrations that will reinforce the tutorials. The institution of a well-articulated mentorship programme, provision of management & consulting services and a robust technical and extension layer support will build requisite competencies and ensure success of the agribusinesses.

Beneficiaries will be given start-up capital to establish their agribusiness at the park. Businesses at the park will be based on viable business models backed by pre-developed business plans on products in high demand with guaranteed markets linked to off-takers.

It is estimated that 120 beneficiaries at the park will generate 3132 jobs. The project has been established at two locations; Akunnu, Akoko North LGA, Ondo state and Sabuwa, Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State. Construction works planned for the first phase infrastructural development started in 2014 and is on-going.

RADTS is designed for school leavers. It adopts tutorials and farm demonstrations on integrated farming systems and value addition processes at designated training centers.  It involves a month training on agribusiness best practices in seven skills sets namely; Crop production, Livestock management, Micro-livestock management, Food processing, preservation & storage, Agro-services & farm mechanization, Enterprise management & Business plan preparation and value enhancing training in Life skills & Success attitudes. Participants are encouraged to form co-operatives. At the end, they are attached for two (2) months to reputable farms/agribusinesses for real life practical experiences. RADTS is conducted in the Agricultural Skills Training Centre (ASTC) or alternative training centre (ATC) in States without ASTCs.

The IFTS is designed to develop graduates of tertiary institutions into agri-preneurs with requisite skills and competence for the proper management of mixed farming enterprises by training on Livestock management, Crop production, Crop processing, Irrigation farming, Agro services, Enterprise management and coaching on Life skills & Success attitudes. 20 beneficiaries are empowered with loan packages to start and manage their mixed farms at any of the IFTS centres. Each beneficiary receives a loan package that includes one (1) hectare of land for crop production, a pen or kraal stocked with livestock and working capital. The beneficiaries are supported to succeed with extension, technical, business & financial advisory services and mentorship.

Accordio

This involves training the rural-farmer participants in the production and marketing of viable handicrafts peculiar to their localities using locally sourced raw materials. The training lasts for four (4) months with the objectives of generating another stream of income for the farmers during the off-season and the reduction of idle time.

n Content

Short duration training of one to two weeks for an up-skill of graduates of RADTS in specific agribusiness techniques such as; Fish fingerling production, Bio-fertilizer & Bio- pesticide production, Export- grade fish processing & fish oil production, Feed formulation & production, Seedling multiplication, Agro services, Bio-security & Biological risk management for livestock enterprises, Green house & drip irrigation technologies, etc.

The Agricultural Park is an all-inclusive agribusiness cluster that is a hub of commercial activities offering training and agritourism.

The park creates a favourable environment for entrepreneurship offering capacity building (training, incubation, mentorship, technical & business support), pre-developed business plans, start-up capital and access to market. The Park promotes technology adoption and the commercialization of products of research and development and generates mass employment.

There is a paradigm shift from production orientation focused on subsistence by local farmers to market orientation focused on local economic development and higher value addition. Hence the Park is provided with shared facilities (infrastructure, equipment and machineries). The cluster model of complimentary small enterprises created at the Park gain competitive strength from the close buy-sell relationships, utilization of common technologies and facilities for production and value addition,  better access to trained and experienced employees, suppliers, specialized information and public goods, as well as the critical motivating force of customer demand derived from a strategic business model that is built on products in high demand with guaranteed markets that have already been linked to off-takers.

Target beneficiaries are unemployed graduates and non-graduates with a passion for agriculture. They receive start-up capital and are supervised to establish their agribusinesses while undergoing a month experiential training concurrently to build their capacity for the successful management of their technology-driven and innovative small-scale agribusinesses. The new enterprises provide hands-on demonstrations that reinforce the tutorials. Also instituted is a well-articulated mentorship programme, management & consulting services with a robust technical and extension layer support to build the needed competencies that will ensure the success of the agribusinesses. The beneficiaries will exit the Park facilities after three (3) years.

The project has been established at two locations; Akunnu, Akoko North LGA, Ondo State and Sabuwa, Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State.

Special Public Works Department is one of the four (4) core programmes of the NDE. It seeks to identify and exploit employment opportunities that abound in the public works sector by organizing the skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled persons that are unemployed to carry out utility, environmental, infrastructural development and sanitation works. The programme promotes mass employment strategies through the attachment of qualified graduates to willing employers of labour for skills upgrading during which permanent employment or self-employment may be secured.

The Graduate Attachment Programme (GAP) is an intervention designed to address the alarming level of graduate unemployment by providing them with transient jobs.  Unemployed graduates of tertiary institutions who wish to participate must have completed the mandatory one-year national service with the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) but in some cases OND/NCE certificate holders are recruited. Participants are attached to willing corporate organizations on pupilage for 6-12 months. During this period, interns are expected to gain requisite practical experience and ascertain their indispensability to the organization that may lead to possible retention at the end of the internship.

The scheme is designed to provide transient jobs to unemployed graduates particularly those with qualification in education. They are engaged as trainers to coach candidates with deficiencies in one or more core subjects but intend to make-up their grades in WAEC/NECO/SSCE to use the earned credits to pursue admission into tertiary institutions also, to assist those preparing for the JAMB-UTME examinations. Training duration is three (3) months.

Objectives of GCS:

• To provide transient jobs to unemployed graduates particularly those with education bias engaged as trainers.
• To reduce the incidence of long term unemployment caused by the curtailment of employable entrants into the labour market.
• To prepare WAEC/NECO candidates with deficiencies for a re-write of the examinations to improve their grades thereby keeping them from idleness.

The scheme is designed for graduates of tertiary institutions. It involves a 2-weeks digital skills training on specialized applications relevant to skills needed in specific careers or professional practices. The skill sets include; Autodesk, project management, hardware installations e.g. Dish and Satellite installations, V – Sat and internet installations and Networking. At the end, participants serve an attachment in well managed small and medium enterprises for a period of 3 – 6 months to develop competence in the learnt skills.

The training prepares participants to possess skills relevant to meet demands for the job, function effectively and succeed in the technology-based millennium workplace. Competence in these skills confer the holder a competitive edge in securing employment and/or starting a business.

EBTS is designed for the training of unemployed graduates of tertiary institutions and non-graduates in hard and soft landscaping that leads to the acquisition of skills in erosion control and environmental beautification, protection and sanitation.

Hard landscaping training involves the posting of unemployed persons to experienced trainers to acquire such skills as casting, block moulding, interlocking stone production and laying, concrete balustrades production and installation, concrete slabs and rings production and installation, kerb making and laying, floor and wall tiling.  Whereas, soft landscaping involves the impartation of such skills as landscape designing, grading, raising nurseries, planting of flowers and seedlings of trees & shrubs and grassing for aesthetics and erosion control. Plastering skills are also learnt which includes; plaster of paris making and installation, suspended ceiling installation, decoration of columns, beams, windows, construction and decoration of water fountains etc.

The training duration is three (3) months. At the end, participants benefit from starter-packs made up of requisite tools and equipment.

The Solar Energy Training Scheme (SETS) is designed for unemployed graduates of tertiary institutions who must have completed the mandatory one-year national service preferably with Engineering or Science background. Participants undergo one (1) week training on solar energy procurement, installation and maintenance activities and practical attachment of two (2) months on-the-job training in private companies. At the end, the participants may opt for paid employment or become self-employed by accessing a loan package.

Objectives of SETS

• To curb the growing rate of unemployment among graduates in the country
• To develop skilled service personnel in solar energy procurement, installation and maintenance
• To provide an alternative source of renewable energy via sunshine
• To reduce infrastructural deficit by providing power for small businesses, homes, street lightning etc.

The Community Development Scheme (CDS) is designed to facilitate community-based infrastructural development in construction, rehabilitation and maintenance works through the engagement and utilization of the unemployed on a temporary basis. The approach employs labor-intensive methods supported with appropriate light equipment.

The strategy involves the collaboration of the NDE with local authorities, establishments, organizations, target communities, etc. in the execution of such projects. The projects are funded through the provision of materials by the host communities while the NDE provide hand-tools, cost of labour and technical expertise.

Objectives:

• To utilize the abundant manpower resources in executing public infrastructure works
• To enable the unemployed, obtain transient jobs while acquiring new skills and trade experiences

Scope:

• Road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance works
• Irrigation works
• Social services including the building of schools, provision of boreholes, potable water supply etc.
• Environmental protection works, etc.

TargetBeneficiaries:
Skilled and unskilled members of the host communities

Duration:
As long as the identified projects last

The scheme is designed as a component of the Community Development Scheme. It involves the engagement and training of different categories of the unemployed in the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of a variety of infrastructure adopting the labour – based method of infrastructure development thus making optimal use of labour supported by compatible light equipment while employing all engineering principles in the design and execution of works without compromising quality.

Objectives of LBTS: –

• To provide on-the-job training for unskilled and skilled community members
• To build capacity of designated technical personnel
• To provide infrastructure in benefiting communities

The Vocational Skills Development programme is one of the Directorate’s job creation programmes primarily concerned with bequeathing productive, functional and marketable skills to the unemployed. The skills acquisition intervention, introduced as a novel approach in combating mass unemployment, has remained a veritable tool since the inception of NDE in 1987.

The programme involves the use of NDE skills acquisition training centers across the country as well as workshops of master crafts-men and women operating in the informal sector as training outlets.  Where the informal sector operators are used, the trainees are attached as apprentices for periods long enough for them to acquire the necessary skills (i.e ranging from three (3) months to twenty (24) months depending on skill set). The Department also deploys well-equipped mobile workshops to train unemployed youths in rural areas where informal training outlets are non-existent to acquire functional and marketable skills.

Objectives

The Vocational Skills Acquisition Training was designed to achieve the following objectives.

1. To provide technical and Vocational training for holders of primary school certificate, secondary certificate, school dropouts and those with vertical literacy education.
2. To equip the youths with such skills that will enable them to be self-employed or gain wage-employment.

• To provide alternative employment opportunities for youths so that they can form co-operatives and start their own businesses.

The following schemes were adopted to achieve the above stated objectives:

1. National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (NOAS)

The scheme is targeted at unskilled and unemployed youths both male and female (i.e illiterates and semi-literate, School leavers and school dropouts, Persons with special needs and Fresh Graduates from the tertiary institutions etc) to equip and up-skill them with relevant demand-driven skills. On graduation, some of them are provided with starter-packs consisting of necessary working tools /equipment or cash to set up their own workshops. This scheme is regarded as the pearl of the pack. It is implemented at 2 levels namely:

1. Basic – National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (B-NOAS)
2. Advanced- National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (A-NOAS)

 Basic National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (B-NOAS)

B-NOAS is a scheme through which unemployed school leavers are recruited and attached to Master Craftsmen/women in the informal sector or to NDE Skills Acquisition Centers to acquire marketable vocational skills for decent job opportunities. The trainers impart skills to the trainees using training facilities in their workshops or the NDE Skills Centers.

1. Advanced National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (A-NOAS)

A-NOAS is designed for artisans who graduated from B-NOAS. It is aimed at upgrading their skills to higher levels of competence.

Skills Acquisition Training Centers

The skills training centres are expected to handle all matters relating to skills acquisition training in the states where they have been established.

The NDE has a total of 76 skills centers in 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

1. School-On-Wheels

The School-On-Wheels scheme is designed to extend skills acquisition training activities to the unemployed in the rural areas. The scheme deploys well equipped Mobile Training Workshops with vocational skills training facilities to rural areas where training outlets are deficient or non-existent. Skills are acquired per training cycle which lasts for a minimum of three months. It is aimed at creating a pool of artisans that will readily address the needs of the rural environment, promote economic activities therein and also stem rural-urban drift.

1. Community Based Skills Acquisition Training:

The community-based training scheme is aimed at training some youths and women in high income generating activities within their various localities. This is with a view to engaging them in productive ventures thereby enabling them to contribute to the economic well-being of the nation. Participants are trained in such skills peculiar to their localities.

1. Partnership in Skills Training

This is a window for collaborative skills acquisition training between the VSD department and relevant agencies, NGOs, CBOs, Religious organisations, Private organizations, individuals etc. It targets the empowerment of youths with relevant vocational skills, aligned with the request of the collaborating partner, for decent job opportunities, wealth creation and poverty reduction.

1. Skills Acquisition Training for People With Special Needs:

This is a specialized skills acquisition training for Persons with Special Needs (i.e. vulnerable, physically challenged, widows, commercial sex workers, internally displaced persons, orphans etc). It is aimed at empowering them with functional skills that will enable them to become self -employed and self-reliant. Other specific objectives of this training programme include:

• To reduce unemployment, open street begging, veiled begging, armed robbery and other social vices.
• To remove disillusionment among vulnerable and disabled persons (physically challenged) and imbue them with a sense of self- worth and self- confidence through the provision of marketable skills.
• To reduce their dependency on other people thereby reducing poverty.

1. Resettlement Loan Scheme

The Resettlement Loan Scheme (RLS) is designed to assist graduates of all vocational skills acquisition training scheme with tools / equipment and working capital to enable them establish and run successful businesses. This is to prevent them from relapsing into unemployment market.

Below are the lists of some trendy skill-sets peculiar across the thirty -six states and the FCT.

The skills training centre is expected to handle all matters relating to skills acquisition training in the states where they have been established.

The NDE has a total of 74 skills centers in 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

National Open Apprenticeship Scheme

The scheme is targeted at unskilled and unemployed youths both male and female to equip and upskill them with relevant demand-driven skills. The scheme is implemented at 2 levels namely:

Basic National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (B-NOAS)

B-NOAS is a scheme through which unemployed school leavers are recruited and attached to Master Craftsmen/women in the informal sector or to NDE Skills Acquisition Centers to acquire marketable vocational skills for decent job opportunities. The trainers impart skills to the trainees using training facilities in their workshops or the NDE Skills Centers.

Advanced National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (A-NOAS)

A-NOAS is designed for artisans who graduated from B-NOAS. It is aimed at upgrading their skills to higher levels of competence.

School-On-Wheels

The School-On-Wheels scheme is designed to extend skills acquisition training activities to the unemployed in the rural areas. The scheme deploys well equipped Mobile Training Workshops with vocational skills training facilities to rural areas where training outlets are deficient or non-existent. Skills are acquired per training cycle which lasts for a minimum of three months. It is aimed at creating a pool of artisans that will readily address the needs of the rural environment, promote economic activities therein and also stem rural-urban drift

The Resettlement Loan Scheme is designed to assist graduates of the National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (NOAS) with tools, equipment and working capital to enable them establish and run successful businesses.

This is a window for collaborative skills acquisition training between the department and relevant agencies, NGOs, Private organizations, individuals etc. It targets the empowerment of youths with relevant vocational skills, aligned with the request of the collaborating partner, for decent job opportunities and wealth creation.

The Human Resource Management Department is one of the four [4] service departments in the NDE. The other service departments are: Planning, Research and Statistics, Finance and supplies and Inspectorate.

The Human Resource Management Department is responsible for the routine duties of general administration of the NDE staff and related issues. Its responsibilities are carried out by various units/sections of the departments, namely

• Registry (open and confidential)
• Staff Welfare and Training
• Appointment, Promotion and Discipline
• Pensions unit
• Record Unit

 Functions of the Human Resources Department

The Human Resource Management Department in the Directorate performs the following functions, among others:

• Responsible for the formulation of Human Resource Policies for effective and efficient use of personnel for optimum productivity.
• Handling all issues relating to general administration including appointment, promotion, discipline and other routine administrative issues in the Directorate in line with extant rules.
• Identifying and articulating Staff Welfare and training needs of the Directorate and ensuring that the implementation of the policies affecting Staff Welfare and training are undertaken in line with the provisions of the Public Service Rules (PSR), NDE Conditions of Service and extant Service Circulars.
• Coordinating and supervising the establishment and continuous updating of reliable and standard Human Resource Data Bank for all staff of the Directorate and ensuring that staff records are properly kept and adequately secured.
• Designing innovative and creative ways of achieving high productivity in staff performance management/appraisal through effective target-setting and the provision of incentives/rewards for excellent performance by the Directorate’s staff.
• Designing job schedules and assigning responsibilities to subordinate staff as well as the co-ordination and supervision of their collective activities.
• Ensuring best practices in pension administration and that staff pension records are properly kept and adequately protected.
• Advising the Director-General, from time to time, on circulars relating to policy matters from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHSF), the Federal Civil Service Commission(FCSC), among others.
• Updating and keeping accurate records of all staff by the Records Unit.
• Other duties as may be assigned by the Director-General.

Schedules of duties

The responsibilities of the department outlined in paragraph 2.3 above are usually broken down into specific schedule of duties and assigned to individual officers in the various units/sections of the department.

Director, Human Resources

The specific schedules of duties of the DHR in particular and as a Director of the NDE in general are as follows:

a). Strategic Planning For the Department

• Articulating a clear statement of departmental/project objectives.
• Designing practical strategies for achieving the departmental/project objectives.
• Developing departmental/project work break-down with a corresponding organizational structure and functional responsibility chart.
• Establishing the required activities for the department within a given year, logically and sequentially, to a conclusive end.
• Assignment of responsibilities to departmental staff: – Developing a very effective work schedule   leading to an optimized      master plan aimed at achieving departmental results.

b). Preparing regular and timely departmental Work/Action Plans.

c). Carrying out regular performance evaluation reports on projects and staff.

d). Setting time-lines for responsibilities assigned and accessing and utilizing approved resources for the achievement of optimum results.

e). Continuous review of progress made on projects vis-à-vis departmental plans.

f). Analyzing, reporting and exercising control: – Exercising positive   corrective action over unacceptable variances in human resources and project management and submitting regular departmental progress reports accordingly.

g). Preparing from time to time, departmental budgets and up-dated detailed cost estimates of individual work packages.

h). Serving as an Accounting Officer at the departmental level on project costing and staff management. However, as the Director in-charge of Human Resources

Department, the specific schedule of duties is as follows:

a). Responsible for the formulation of Human Resource Policies for effective and efficient use of personnel for optimum productivity.

b). Assisting/ advising the Director-General and the Executive Management on all issues relating to general administration including appointment, promotion, discipline and other routine administrative issues in the Directorate in line with extant rules.

c). Identifying/articulating Staff Welfare and training needs of the Directorate and ensuring that the implementation of the policies affecting Staff Welfare and training are undertaken in line with the provisions Public Service Rules (PSR).

d). Coordinating and supervising the establishment and continuous updating of reliable and standard Human Resource Data Bank for all staff of the Directorate and ensuring that staff records are properly kept and adequately secured.

e). Designing innovative and creative ways of achieving high productivity in staff performance management/appraisal through effective target-setting and the provision of incentives/rewards for excellent performance by the Directorate’s staff.

f). Designing job schedules and assigning responsibilities to subordinate staff as well as the co-ordination and supervision of their collective activities.

g).  Ensuring best practices in pension administration and that staff pension records are properly kept and adequately protected.

h). Advising the Director-General on circulars relating to policy matters    from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHSF); the Federal Civil Service Commission(FCSC), among others from time to time.

i). Coordinating and supervising the activities of the Records Unit.

j). Ensuring that monthly departmental meetings are held and that minutes of such meetings are forwarded to the Director-General accordingly.

k). Other duties as may be assigned by the Director-General.

Administration/Coordination of the activities of the Department as they affect the following:

• Welfare/Staff Development
• Security matters
• Death and Burial matters
• Medical

Appointment, Promotion and Discipline

Administration/Coordination of the activities of the Department as they affect the following:

• Appointment, Promotion and Discipline
• Supervising Confidential Registry
• Promotion/ Upgrading
• Advancement
• Conversion
• Recruitment
• Queries
• Discipline
• Interpreting Labour laws
• Settling disputes between Management and unions

Registry

The Open Registry in specific terms is in-charge of;

• Opening, Closing & Indexing of Files
• Receiving, Stamping, Sorting, Registration & Forwarding of mails to appropriate authority
• Dispatching of mails
• Keeping daily Morning List of file movements
• Updating of records of service in NDE Headquarters
• Raising Variation Advice as and when due
• Liaising with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

On the other hand, the confidential registry is saddled with the responsibility of:

• Ensuring safe custody of confidential document
• Processing of Annual Performance and Evaluation Report [APER]
• Listing of eligible staff for promotion examinations as and when demanded.
• Updating records of staff with regards to sanctions or Disciplinary Measures taken.

Pension Unit

The Pension Unit is responsible for handling all issues relating to:

• Updating records of staff due for retirement and those on retirement.
• Processing of Retirement Benefits
• Processing of Death Benefits
• Liaison and maintaining proper records with PenCom and other relevant agencies in respect of benefits and entitlement of Staff members.
• Assisting Retirees in the Yearly Data Capturing Exercise.

Records

The importance of the records unit in the NDE cannot be overemphasized.  It is responsible for handling all issues relating to;

• Updating of Nominal Roll & Seniority List Bimonthly
• Analysis of Nominal Roll with respect to disposition of staff By GL, States Of Origin, Gender, Senior & Junior Staff, etc
• Anchoring Report of Annual Personnel Audit
• Forwarding of NDE staff records to other Agencies on request or in compliance with statutory requirements, eg; BPSR, Federal Character Commission, PenCom, Relevant Committees of the National Assembly, etc.

The Planning, Research and Statistics Department is the Think Tank of the NDE. It was established by the Civil Service Reform Act 43 of 1988.

Roles:

It was established by the Civil Service Reform Act 43 of 1988 to carry out the following statutory functions:

• Collection and processing of data and statistics relating to the NDE Operations
• Research into the NDE internal organization and operational modalities
• Research into the sectors over which the NDE has jurisdiction
• Running the secretariat of the NDE Tenders Board
• Monitoring and Evaluation of plan implementation
• Management of NDE records and information resources (data bank, computer services, registry, library, etc.)
• Liaison with relevant bodies outside the NDE

The above-mentioned functions are carried out by the following divisions:

• Planning and Policy
• Research and Statistics
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Job Centre (JC)
• Resource Centre (RC)

The Department of Finance and Accounts is one of the Service Departments of the Directorate charge with the responsibility of accessing and managing the finances of the organization for probity, accountability and prudence. The Department collaborates with programme and service departments, receives funds and disburses same in accordance with the Public Service Rules and Financial Regulations for the smooth operation of the Directorate.

Roles:

The Finance and Accounts as one of the Service Departments of the Directorate performs the following duties:

• Ensure compliance with Financial Regulations, Treasury/Financial circulars and the Accounting Code by all Staff.
• Ensure adequate supervision of the disbursement of funds and proper monitoring and accounting for income and expenditure of the Directorate.
• Advising the Accounting Officer on all financial matters as well as the more technical provisions of these Regulations and other Treasury and Finance Circulars.
• Maintaining proper accounting records such as books of accounts, Main and Subsidiary Ledger
• Ensure prompt rendition of all returns e.g. Consolidated Accounts (monthly trial balance), Bank reconciliation statements, Revenue and Expenditure returns as prescribed in the Financial Regulations.
• Compiling and defending of the budget proposals and ensuring effective budgeting control by matching/comparing budgeted figures with actual expenditure or revenue as the case may be and advise the Accounting Officer appropriately.
• Ensuring that all staff under the control of the Head of Accounts are exposed to regular training programmes to prepare them for the efficient performance of their duties.
• Liaising with the Office of the Accountant -General of the Federation from time to time when in doubt in the interpretation of the provisions of the Financial Regulations and Treasury Circulars or when confronted with difficulties in the performance of assigned duties.
• Ensuring the existence of an effective Audit Query Unit/section to promptly deal with queries received from the Internal Audit Unit, Inspectorate Department, Office of the Accountant-General and Public Accounts Committee.
• Ensuring adequate and effective supervisory roles on financial transactions carried out in the State and Zonal Offices of the Directorate.

The Directorate is funded through the Federal Government Subvention and budgetary provisions
The Finance/Accounts Department carries out its day to day activities through the following:

• Funds
• Expenditure
• Advances
• Salaries
• Checking
• Central Pay Office
• Reconciliation
• States Accounts
• Fixed Assets
• Final Accounts
• Loans Coordination

The Procurement Department is set up for the purpose of implementing its procurement plans for the delivery of public goods, works and services usually through a third party (contractor).

Functions of Procurement Department

The Procurement Department shall:

(a)Advertise and solicit for bids in compliance with guidelines issued by the Bureau of Public Procurement from time to time.

(b) Receive and maintain appropriate documentation for bids received.

(c) Examination and evaluation of bids received.

(d) Obtaining a certificate of “No Objection” to Contract Award from the Bureau of Public Procurement and making submission to the entities of Tender Board.

(e) Debrief the bid losers on request.

(f) Resolve complaints and dispute if any.

(g) Obtain and confirm the validity of any performance guarantee.

(h) Announce and publicize Contract Awards.

(i) Execute all Contract Agreements.

Introduction:

The Inspectorate Department is one of the service departments of the NDE, saddled with the statutory responsibility of ensuring that programme implementation is consistent with policy directives, with a view to achieving set goals and objectives.

Statutory functions of the inspectorate department are:

• Inspection, monitoring and verification of all NDE programmes, projects and schemes.
• Coordination of programme activities to avoid duplication, conflicts and wastages.
• Providing feedback on the performance of programmes, projects and schemes to provide input for Management’s policy decisions.
• Verification of payment lists and clearing of trainees, trainers and instructors for payment.
• Liaising with local governments and other development partners for cooperation and support for the NDE job generation activities.
• Promoting NDE sponsored entrepreneurs through exhibitions, International trade fairs and other regional trade fairs, for example,

1. Kaduna International Trade Fair
2. Enugu International Trade Fair
3. Lagos Trade Fair and (Regional Trade fairs)

Strategies Adopted:

 The Inspectors of Programmes in the course of carrying out their routine duties of monitoring and verification, inspect the following:

1. Inspection of training sites to authenticate the following:

• Trainees’ Identity Cards, Placement letters, log books and attendance registers.

2. Inspection of beneficiaries’ projects and start-ups, monitoring loan repayment, to facilitate loan recovery.
3. Evaluation of workshop premises, equipment and tools,etc.
4. Evaluation reports analysis of actual employment generated per scheme, by skill, by gender, geographical spread etc.
5. Quarterly reports to Executive Management arises from state reports in order to resolve conflicts or address lapses arising from programmeimplementation. Offering counselling to the beneficiaries, where necessary.

1. The NDE Sponsored entrepreneurs are promoted by exposing their products at various International trade fairs and micro job fairs through the following:

• Ensuring the host state’s readiness to host the exhibition.
• Selectingand preparing the NDE beneficiaries to exhibit at the fair.
• Ensuring the NDE Pavilion at the fair is constructed to a specified standard.
• Ensuring adequate logistics such as furniture, stand-by generating-set, security, etc., to create a conducive environment for the exhibitors.
• Staging of the NDE day in order to sensitize the general public on the Directorate activities and its efforts at combating unemployment etc

The Women Employment Branch was established in 1991 with the mandate to ensure full and equal participation of women in the four main programme of the Directorate, Small Scale Enterprise, Special Public Work and the Rural Enterprise Promotion Programmes.

OBJECTIVES:

• To initiate and implement gender specific scheme/activities that provides direct delivery assistance to women of diverse background.
• To identify factors that militates against the full participation of women in programmes the Directorate.
• To liaise with women organizatione.g Government and non-governmental that are involved in gender specific programmes.
• Any issue that is of interest to gender mainstreaming and development.

Over the years, the branch has focused its activities through the women associations and cooperative societies. The women Employment Branch has concentrated on training of women in income generating activities such as Food Processing, Basic Business Management skills acquisition, Cosmetology, Bead Making, Tye and Dye, AdireShoes and Bag Making, Fashion Design, Catering, Spices production, Packaging, Interior decoration, Hat Making to mention but a few.