By Ahmed Ajikobi
National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has commenced a two-day training programme for 540 beneficiaries of the Expanded Public Works (EPW) in Ilorin, the state capital.
The trainees which started yesterday comprised of those who have received their three months allowance of N60,000 each.
Speaking at the event, Director-General of NDE, Abubakar Fikpo said those selected for the programme tagged” Advanced Business Training” had collected their three months stipends.
Represented by Mr. Saheed Salau from the Special Public Works (SPW) of the directorate, Fikpo said that 180 persons from each of the three senatorial districts of the state are benefiting from the programme.
Fikpo explained that: “In any mass payment, there is what we call failed payment. Some of the beneficiaries of the payment have failed; perhaps, because of one thing or the other. Some of them failed.
“Payments might be connected with differentials in the names used in the BVN and the names used during registration.
“Those are the people that have problems of nonpayment. Those are the people the Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo (SAN), was referring to. Already, we are addressing the problem. As soon as any of the affected beneficiaries are cleared, they will receive alert of payment. All of them will get their money, and that is why we are giving them this training.”
Also speaking, the State Coordinator of NDE, Engr Abba Timothy said: “The essence of the training is basically to follow up the training we did for the beneficiaries of the SPW some months back in Kwara State. They had training on basic business then, but this is the advanced of the training. We want to know what impact the former training had on then and what will be the impact of the current one.
He urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the training to improve on their businesses.
