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The commencement of the much awaited Batch C of the N-Power programme in Nigeria has been flagged off.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq flagged off the Stream 1 of the programme in Abuja, Nigeria.
According to her, the batch C is divided into 2 streams.
“Stream 1 for 510,000 beneficiaries and stream C2 for 490,000 beneficiaries. Under the Batch C1, a total of 450,000 have been selected to benefit under the graduate component, while 60,000 beneficiries will be non-graduate beneficiaries”.
The Minister noted that some innovations have been introduced into the N-Power selection and payment processes such as the creation of the National Social Investment Management Systems (NASIMS), partnership with key MDAs including the NYSC, the UBEC, the NPHCDA, the NOA to mention but a few, with which the Ministry is leveraging to effectively implement its interventions”.
“To ensure that the challenges of communication is addressed, most particularly as it relates to limitations on information flow and internet access across the country and in a bid to provide accessibility to all target programme applicants and beneficiaries, the Ministry has concluded to provide access to information via a USSD code”.
“In line with the above, the USSD short code *45665# has been secured via integration to provide the required connectivity and technical support for the provision of information services to our beneficiaries,” Umar Farouq emphasised
The N-Power programme is segmented into 3 core groups:
1. N-Power Volunteer Corps which is the Graduate programme
2 N-Power Build, which is a Non-Graduate programme
3 N-Power Knowledge – Which is also a non-graduate programme but deliberately designed on ICT skills. It includes the N-Tech Hardware, N-Tech Software and the N-Creative training programmes.
She said that the volunteers were strategically attached to carefully selected Places of Primary Assignements (PPAs) where they will provide technical services while also receiving work experience.
The N-Power Volunteer (graduates) are entitled to a monthly stipend of Thirty Thousand Naira each (N30,000.00) for a period of one year while the non-graduate beneficiaries are entitled to Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000.000) monthly stipends for a period of nine months.
Speaking at the flag off ceremony, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said since inception, the N-Power has been a tool to curb youth restiveness.
“It avails the Nigerian youths the opportunity to acquire skills to enhance their lives and even create employment for others.
” I have no doubt that the lessons learnt in the Batch A and B would be brought to bear in the Batch C to achieve President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, the Minister stated.
The United Nations Resident Coordinator on Humanitarian Affairs, Mr Edward Kallon said the onboarding of the N-Power Batch C stream 1 was another mile stone achievement by the Federal Government to lift millions of Nigeria out of poverty.
The National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme, Dr Umar Bendir said the essence of the N-Power programme was to build capacity and competences of Nigerian youths.
He noted that since 1960, the different Poverty Alleviation interventions of the Federal Government remained only a programme.
Bendir said President Buhari thought it wise to have a full flesh Ministry to effectively address poverty so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past. He also institutionalised the NSIP in 2016.
“The NSIP have components such as N-Power, National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, Government Enterprise and Enterpreuership Programme and Conditional Cash Transfer, he stated.
He said all these were geared towards lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next ten years.
Lateefah Ibrahim
