Abuja: The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has closed the online registration portal for the third Phase of the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI III), ending the nationwide application process.

The Director-General of NDE, Silas Agara, announced this in a statement issued in Abuja.

Agara said the portal, which was launched on July 23 by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammed Dingyadi, officially closed at 4:00 p.m. on July 30.

He said the registration period was extended by one day after minor technical disruptions on July 25 to ensure that all eligible applicants had the opportunity to complete their registration.

According to him, the directorate will immediately begin the collation, verification and assessment of applications received.

He said successful applicants would be selected in line with the programme guidelines and notified through the directorate’s official communication channels.

Agara thanked Nigerians for the overwhelming interest in the programme and appreciated applicants for their patience and cooperation throughout the registration exercise.

He assured the public that the selection process would be transparent, fair and merit-based, urging applicants to ignore false information and individuals claiming they could influence the selection process.

The director-general reaffirmed the commitment of the NDE to implementing the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative by providing unemployed Nigerians with opportunities for skills acquisition, entrepreneurship development and sustainable livelihoods