Kaduna – The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) on Monday said it had trained no fewer than 30 women in Kaduna State under its special programme for women.

The State Coordinator, Alhaji Isa Tandama, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that the directorate had special interest in women and as such designed the special programme for them.

Tandama said that the programme, under one of its schemes, the Small Scale Enterprise Unit in the women employment branch, was a new initiative.

“The branch is specifically designed to train women in various skills that are related to their needs, like fashion designing, tie and dye, hair dressing and soap and beads making,” he said.

Tandama said the directorate had been commended for the results achieved and that the programme would soon go national.

He said that during the programme the beneficiaries acquired necessary skills within a period of five days and that they were guided step by step on how to perform certain tasks.

According to him, training women becomes necessary to actively engage them in ventures that will make life more meaningful for them.

The coordinator said the directorate had an important role to play in addressing unemployment in the country but could not do more because of limited resources

“My superiors in the ministry have been trying to convince the present administration to look at it seriously and they will soon, I hope, increase funding to the directorate,” he said.

He further urged wealthy individual to come forward and collaborate with the directorate to help in creating employment.

“Let us see a way that we can survive not only in terms of getting Naira and Kobo but also in terms of providing skills and smile on the faces of the unemployed youths,” he said

Tandama said the directorate was now approaching wealthy Nigerians and politicians and other concerned citizens who have the funds to support training programmes for the youth.

“We approach them and sell the concept to them to embrace like the Kaduna State government,” he said

He said some non-governmental organisations were also collaborating with the directorate.

“This will also help to reduce unemployment in our midst because of the menace it constitutes and we all know the consequence.

“This is critical because the directorate can not do it all alone,” he said.