Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo says tackling unemployment requires right models that will address the current challenges in the nation’s economy, especially in the agriculture sector.
Obaseki said this when he received a delegation from the  Edo branch of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Benin on Monday.
He said that eradicating unemployment required understanding current demands of the economy which were gradually tilting towards investment in agribusiness.
Obaseki noted that his administration’s strategic approach towards creating jobs was to first take cognizance of the state of the economy, understand the problems and also identify key areas where jobs could be created.
He said that his administration had gone ahead to prepare about 2,500 hectares of land for maize cultivation as there were ready buyers.
The governor urged the directorate to rethink its approach and be more proactive in its employment strategies
He commended the efforts of the directorate in empowering residents of the state, adding that the state was prepared to collaborate more with the body in areas of training.
Earlier, the Edo Coordinator of NDE, Mrs Ayo Edegbai, said the directorate had trained over 100,000 people in Edo in areas of catering, cosmetology, hospitality, among others since 1987. Edegbai said that the directorate had also recorded achievements in areas of rural employment and Special Public Works programmes.
She also sought for the government’s assistance in settling of trainees empowered by the organisation in 2016.