With unemployment skyrocketing all over the country, the recent appointment of Silas Agara as Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) by President Bola Tinubu is a right step in the right direction and there are expectations that this will be a new dawn. Agara is coming on board with different backgrounds.

He was a Deputy Governor; he is a Federal Commissioner, National Population Policy, Chairman Nationwide League One and President Karate Federation of Nigeria. This profile means topping the table with so much. The NDE should not just pass as one of the numerous Federal Government agencies.

It has the key role of depopulating the labour market by providing jobs. There is also the need to create opportunities and alternatives that will reduce criminality among virile Nigerians. As a former Deputy Governor, Agara understands how state governors work. This vantage position should open doors for him in all the Government Houses across the nation.

In the course of his past jobs, he came across some of the states’ chief executives. For a man who was Nasarawa State Commissioner of Sports and presently heads the Nationwide League One and the Karate Federation of Nigeria, the NDE boss is fully equipped to use sports to create jobs as shown with the formation of Nasarawa United Football Club, in 2003.

Our potential in sports has not been tapped efficiently. This is evidenced by the sterling performance of Nigerians who represent other countries at international events or switched nationality.

What is lacking at home will include poor facilities and remuneration. Using sports to boost the economy is a possibility which must be explored. Take football for instance. Money made by clubs in international transfers can generate more talents and increase revenue across board at the end.

Perhaps, the NDE could establish sports centres in various parts of the country to divert our youth from nefarious activities and offer them opportunities to be gainfully employed through participation in competitions, locally and internationally. At a time acute food shortage has become a

It may help the society if these young men are brought together in an NDE-managed Technical Village to benefit fellow citizens instead of resorting to Internet fraud

threat, the NDE could delve into agriculture. It is said that a hungry man is an angry man. In the First Republic, Regional Premiers showed interest in collective farming. The Fourth Republic could do with the return of Farm Settlements. There are so many citizens roaming the streets, for no fault of theirs.

Many of them are homeless and have remained in the urban centres idling away. And they are ready to work if given the opportunity. Farm Settlements will be the ideal place for them. In Europe and America, farmers earn huge money and are respected. Farming can be made attractive in Nigeria.

It is a shame that a country that was very strong in agriculture in the early post-Independence years is unable to feed itself. Some of the courses offered in Nigerian universities are not enough to guarantee good jobs. In a situation where the jobs are not even there, NDE should be able to think out of the box.

It is time to rejig the Four Cardinal Programmes of Vocational Skills Development (VSD), Small Scale Enterprises (SSE), Rural Employment Promotion (REP) and Special Public Work (SPW) to align with workable trends. Take the globally acclaimed Igbo Apprenticeship System.

There is no reason why the NDE cannot tap from it. Markets in the Alaba, Ladipo and Trade Fair areas of Lagos are available for pilot schemes. Agara and his team may go into partnership with the executives of their umbrella body. The way to go among young Nigerians now is ICT.

And they are gaining ground, some for bad. It may help the society if these young men are brought together in an NDE managed Technical Village to benefit fellow citizens instead of resorting to internet fraud. In the Technical Village, such skills as phone sales, repairs and computer knowledge will be laid bare.

This will create jobs for many and also drive traffic to yield dividends. This does not in any way diminish the NDE or deviate from its statutory roles. It is our hope that Agara will apply all his exposure to this new and significant role assigned by the President. And he also needs to court the corporate world in order to meet some targets, for government allocation may not be enough to achieve the desirable.