YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND THE ROLE OF NATIONAL DIRECTORATE OF EMPLOYMENT IN KOGI STATE

Abstract This research Youth Empowerment and the Role of National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Kogi State, Nigeria is out to examine how NDE has contributed to youth empowerment in Kogi State. With youth unemployment being a pressing issue, the NDE plays a crucial role in providing vocational training, entrepreneurship development, and employment opportunities to mitigate the challenges faced by youths in Kogi State. The study has three research questions, objectives, and hypotheses. The Empowerment theory was adopted for the study. The population for the study was 1484. Both primary and secondary sources of data collection were used. 306 questionnaires were distributed and 290 were completed and returned. The data presentation and analysis was simple percentages, tables and Chi-Square using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The major finding revealed that NDE has significantly contributed to youth empowerment in Kogi State. The study discovered that there are challenges to NDE in the implementation of programs in Kogi State, these challenges include; inadequate infrastructure poor equipment, inadequate funding, and lack of proper supervision monitoring mechanism. The study, therefore, recommends that the Kogi State Government, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, should work closely with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to establish robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms aimed at tracking the progress of NDE programs in the state. The Kogi State Government should collaborate with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to provide substantial equipment and infrastructure that can significantly enhance the effectiveness and impact of NDE programs in the state. The Kogi State government should finally embark on organizing seminars and workshops for beneficiaries, master trainers, stakeholders, and policymakers to tackle their challenges in empowering the youth of Kogi State.