By AKANIMO SAMPSON
Following a high level meeting in Abuja, the National Directorate of Employment is set to place the South South region’s mounting unemployment crisis at the center of its intervention efforts.
The South South Development Commission, an intervention agency, and the National Directorate of Employment have agreed to deepen collaboration to drive job creation and sustainable economic growth across the region.
This development comes as the Nigerian Society of Engineers announced a major step in its long term transformation agenda with the formal presentation of its ten year Strategic Document to its President, Margaret Oguntala.
Presenting the document, Chairman of the NSE Strategic Document Committee, Prof. Akaninyene Ekong, said the committee was established by the NSE Council to translate the Oguntala Presidential Agenda into a clear and actionable roadmap for the Society.
He explained that the committee focused on key thematic areas essential to the Society’s growth, including membership development, strategic partnerships, international relations, community engagement, and institutional branding.
Ekong, a former National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers, noted that the committee’s structure enabled efficient, inclusive, and detailed analysis of each component. He added that the initiative reflects the NSE leadership’s commitment to institutional continuity, sound governance, and sustained professional development.
According to him, the report provides a decade-long administrative and developmental framework aligned with the current administration’s vision. He stated that each sub-committee submitted periodic updates that were collectively reviewed and refined under the MOPSA framework, incorporating constructive feedback, peer reviews, and expert input to strengthen quality and alignment with the Society’s strategic goals.
Ekong said the document will serve as a reliable guide for the next ten years, helping to reinforce institutional stability, enhance professional excellence, and position the Nigerian Society of Engineers as a globally competitive and impactful professional body.
Members of the committee include Mrs Felicia Nnenna Agubata, Babatunde Odunlami, Prof. Salihi Abdu, Mrs Nimotalai Adebukola Muili, Benjamin Osita Okoh, Olutosin Olagoke Ogunmola, Prof. Francis Anyasi, Aishatu Aliyu Umar, Aishatu Aliyu Saad, Emmanuel Idoboniye, Nnoli Akpedeye, Prof. Mohammed Dauda, Ifeanyi Ofodile Anieto, Dr. Edith Ishidi, with Arome Onoja as Secretary.
Meanwhile, at the Abuja meeting led by SSDC Managing Director Usoro Akpabio, the NDE gave a firm commitment to reclaim and develop a long abandoned parcel of land allocated to it in Akwa Ibom State.
Dr. Nkereuwem Ebong, an SSDC board member representing Akwa Ibom, urged the NDE to take back and put to use the plot located in Essien Udim Local Government Area, which has remained undeveloped for years. He stressed that activating the asset would deliver significant benefits to both the state and the South South region.
Responding, NDE Director General Silas Ali Agara assured that the land would be reclaimed and developed in line with the agency’s objectives.
Earlier, Akpabio commended the NDE for its national role in employment generation and human capital development. She said the agency’s mandate aligns with the SSDC’s mission to drive inclusive growth, regional integration, and economic empowerment across the South South states.
The strategic engagement followed Akpabio’s visit to the NDE headquarters in Abuja, where she led an SSDC delegation to deepen cooperation on job creation, skills development, and other shared priorities.
