The Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, H.E. Silas Ali Agara, has received a delegation from the South South Development Commission led by the MD and CEO, Mrs. Usoro Akpabio, who stated that their mission is to empower the South South region through economic development, women employability, poverty reduction, and sustainability. She explained that the visit was to seek a partnership with NDE to strengthen skill acquisition, rural employment and regional development, while improving access to sustainable livelihoods across the region.
Responding, the DG welcomed the delegation and noted that NDE’s online registration and tracking system makes monitoring programmes easier and more transparent. He said the system uses Bank Verification Number and National Identification Management for authentication, which helps prevent duplicate training and enables proper tracking of beneficiaries. He added that aligning with the South South Development Commission’s goals would support wider economic growth and proposed a needs assessment to identify priority areas for collaboration.
A board member of the South South Development Commission, Rt. Hon. Larry Odey, commended the DG for what he described as innovative leadership. He encouraged stronger advocacy in the South South region to boost participation in NDE programmes and expand employment opportunities.
Delivering the vote of thanks, the Director of Planning Research and Statistics, Mr. Edmund Onwuliri, noted NDE’s commitment to work closely with the Commission to address gaps in the region’s application process. He appreciated the DG and the SSDC delegation for what he called an insightful engagement and wished them a safe journey back home.
