Barely 24 hours after the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) opened its portal for the second phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI), a massive 35,819 unemployed Nigerians, aged 18 to 45, have already applied for just 27,000 available training and job slots.
The Director-General of NDE, Mr. Silas Agara, described the overwhelming response as a sign of the scale of youth unemployment and the hunger for skills that guarantee sustainable livelihoods.
Mr. Agara launched the fully digital second phase of the programme on Monday, July 28, 2025, stating that the NDE has installed robust software, hardware, and internet facilities across all 36 states and the FCT to support seamless registration and implementation.
“Nobody will be allowed to import any name into the system. Only those who apply online within the two-week window will be considered,” he emphasized.
The RHEI’s second phase builds on lessons from the pilot round, with enhanced transparency and infrastructure nationwide. Mr. Agara also warned against fraudsters, urging applicants to use only official NDE channels and avoid anyone demanding money or documents outside the official requirements.
“Some are already out there deceiving people. We need the media to help us expose them,” he said.
