New NDE DG, Mohammed, Assumes Duty

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

Dr. Nasiru Mohammed has officially assumed duty as the Director General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), even as he assured that no Nigerian would risk his or her life traveling across the desert and Mediterranean Sea to seek employment in Europe and other parts of the world.

Mohammed disclosed this while speaking after officially taking over the leadership of the agency.

According to him, “I was posted to this place by the President with a clear mandate to make NDE work. The new NDE we are thinking of is not just an issue of creating jobs, providing employment, creation of wealth, we are thinking far ahead of that. What we are planning to do in the future are; we are going to export labour.”

Mohammed said, “We are looking at the situation whereby, no Nigerian will risk his life traveling across the desert and Mediterranean sea just because they are trying to get to Europe.

“They will definitely travel to Europe but they will do it in a more dignified manner. Our website will be activated for employers and applicants; we will be involved, get across to their various embassies and get an insurance for those being employed. It’s like government to government interaction.”

He promised to make the NDE have a direct impact on those in the rural areas, adding that the organisation will collaborate with other relevant government agencies in order to have a comprehension of all unemployed Nigerian youths.

“My administration will also reactive and upgrade the organisation’s facilities in all the states in order to improve the organisation’s performance”, he added.

Speaking earlier, NDE’s former acting Director-General Mr. Olakunle Obayan said the biggest challenge of the organisation was inadequate funding, expressing hope that the new DG will use his political connections to attract finances to the organisation.