Did Authorities Ask All Unemployed Nigerians to Register at Any Employment Directorate? Fact Emerges
- A message circulating online claimed that Nigerian authorities asked any unemployed person to visit the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) office near them and register
- Legit.ng reports that the NDE provides opportunities for unemployed citizens, particularly the youth and undergraduates
- However, the NDE has denied online claims that it has asked job seekers to register at any of its offices nationwide
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 4 years of experience in fact-checking.
FCT, Abuja - In January, a Facebook post claimed that the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) asked job seekers to "register immediately” at any of its offices.
Legit.ng reports that the unemployment rate in Nigeria stood at 5.3 percent in the first quarter of 2024, representing a third consecutive increase since the second quarter of 2023.
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The message from a poster, Fatimah Ajoke Balogun, reads:
"If you have any unemployed person, tell them to go and register at the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) office near them Nationwide immediately. Registration is for 3 weeks only. Kindly share to help someone today. This information can be useful. Thanks."
It then highlighted several NDE office addresses and contact details (presumably), then added that:
Copied
"Shittu Olanrewaju
"NDG FOR UPC."
The claim can also be found in this Facebook post and another post.
But did Nigerian authorities release such a message? Legit.ng checked.
NDE disclaims 'employment opportunity' message
On Friday, January 17, 2025, the NDE issued a disclaimer via its official X and Facebook pages.
The agency's management's message reads in full:
"The attention of the management of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has been drawn to a message circulating on social media urging unemployed persons to register at any NDE office nationwide, claiming the registration will last for three weeks and encouraging the public to share the information widely.
"The NDE wishes to categorically state that this information is false and did not originate from us. The public is advised to disregard the message in its entirety and refrain from acting on it.
"Any official announcements, programmes, or directives from the NDE are communicated through verified channels such as our official website, social media handles, offices nationwide and recognised media outlets.
"We urge the public to verify any information attributed to the NDE to avoid being misled by false or unauthorised communications."
Going by the NDE's rebuttal, the instruction did not come from the agency.
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Experts speak on Nigeria’s unemployment rate
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Muda Yusuf, the chief executive officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, said the statistics showing that Nigeria’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.1% at the end of the first quarter of 2023, is "difficult to accept".
According to him, the new methodology needs to be reviewed to reflect Nigeria's realities.
In the same vein, Kelvin Emmanuel, a finance expert and development economist, described the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS's) 4.1% jobless data as a joke.
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Source: Legit.ng
