THE POLITICS OF NATIONAL DIRECTORATE OF EMPLOYMENT AND THE CHALLENGES OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA: THE NEED FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL INTERCESSION.

This study assessed the role of NDE considering the alarming current rate of unemployment challenges in Nigeria. The aim is to empirically investigate the impact of NDE on entrepreneur and socio-economic development in Nigeria. To achieve this, the study employed the use of time series data on employment on the relevance of the NDE various training programmes to employment generation in Nigeria. The various NDE categories of job training from which the prospective beneficiaries can acquire entrepreneur skills that will guarantee employment were examine. However, in spite of the frantic efforts towards the eradication of unemployment, it is sad that the Nigerian economy continues to experience high unemployment rate, resulting to alienation of the poor people from political-economic functioning of the society. The study found out that although the Federal Government of Nigeria established NDE with a view to alleviating unemployment, the rate of unemployment keeps increasing daily. However, the findings showed that trainees enrolled more in certain schemes at the expense of others. The research argued that the activities of the NDE need to be constantly appraised and efforts should be made to link up more with the informal sector and have liaison offices in the local government headquarters across the federation where entrepreneur activities will be carried out.