The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) rolled out a five‑year strategic framework on Thursday in Abuja, targeting the period 2027‑2031 to accelerate job creation and refurbish its 87 Skills Training Centres nationwide.
Key details of the plan include: a timeline covering 2027‑2031; the refurbishment of 87 training hubs, plus agricultural and common‑facility centres; and a focus on demand‑driven skills, entrepreneurship, and strategic partnerships. Director‑General Silas Agara, a former deputy governor of Nasarawa State, presented the document, emphasizing evidence‑based, results‑oriented interventions.
Agara explained that the strategy will give the Directorate’s departments, state offices and programme delivery units a unified direction, concentrating on skills that match market demand, fostering enterprise growth and ensuring inclusive employment opportunities.
"The NDE is not merely unveiling a policy document; we are setting a clear strategic direction for the next five years, reaffirming our purpose and strengthening our commitment to creating jobs, developing skills, promoting entrepreneurship and improving Nigerians' livelihoods," he said.
He noted that many of the 87 Skills Training Centres, along with Agricultural Training Centres and Common Facility Centres, require varying levels of retooling, upgrading or complete overhaul to meet contemporary training standards.
"We are committed to modernising these facilities and harmonising our curricula to ensure uniform standards and alignment with industry needs," Agara added, while acknowledging that sustained support from the Federal Government, development partners and the private sector is essential.
The plan also calls for deeper collaboration with employers and industry bodies, enhanced data‑driven decision‑making and stronger post‑training support to help beneficiaries secure jobs, launch viable businesses and sustain their livelihoods.
Agara stressed that employment interventions must adapt to the evolving nature of work, shaped by technological advances, emerging industries, demographic pressures and new business models.
Implementation will be guided by clear resource allocation, performance assessment and programme monitoring, with priorities integrated into annual work plans and budgets to ensure accountability.
"The real test of this Plan begins after its launch," Agara warned, highlighting the need for defined responsibilities, adequate resources, measurable targets and robust monitoring mechanisms.
In her remarks, the Director of the [International Labour Organization (ILO)](https://www.ilo.org/africa/countries-covered/nigeria/lang-- en/index.htm) Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the ECOWAS Liaison Office, Vanessa Phala, underscored the importance of a modern Public Employment Service and stronger labour‑market information systems to translate skills development into tangible job opportunities.
Phala said the proposed public employment service would improve connections between job seekers, employers and economic opportunities, delivering more responsive, evidence‑based support.
She noted that the strategic plan aligns with the National Employment Policy (NEP) 2025 and supports Nigeria’s broader agenda for productive employment and decent work.
The ILO’s involvement stems from the Strengthening Employment and Employability Systems in Nigeria (SEESIN) project, executed through a collaboration with GIZ under the Skills Development for Youth Employment Programme (SKYE II).
Phala cautioned that achieving the plan’s goals will require clear institutional leadership, sufficient funding, effective partnerships and regular results assessment.
She urged the NDE to assign explicit responsibilities for each priority area and called on government agencies, employers’ and workers’ organisations, and development partners to align their support accordingly, employing results‑based management and robust monitoring, evaluation and learning mechanisms.
The ILO reaffirmed its commitment to work with the Nigerian government and social partners to turn national employment policies into practical improvements in job opportunities and livelihoods.
Agara expressed gratitude to the governments of Germany and Switzerland, the ILO and other development partners for their assistance through the GIZ‑implemented SKYE II programme, and thanked the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, organised labour, employers’ organisations, civil society and other stakeholders for their contributions to the consultation and validation process.