Special Adviser to the President on Federal Government Social Investments, Mrs Mariam Uwais, has revealed that the federal government is taking to actualisation its plans to employ 500,000 youths this year through the N-Power scheme of the Nigeria Social Investment Programme of the federal government.
“We intend to employ 500,000 unemployed graduates in this first year. It is open to all unemployed Nigerian graduates between the ages of 18 and 35. All you need to do is to go on to the portal that has been opened, and it closes on the 31st of August, 2016. The portal is www.npower.gov.ng,” she said.
Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomhole lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for initiating the programme for the benefit of the less privileged in the country.
Oshiomole said:“Let me, on behalf of the government and the great people of Edo State appreciate our president, President Muhammadu Buhari for making history in appropriating funds specifically directed at children of the poor in public schools by way of one meal a day for children from primary one to three, recognising that whereas many Nigerians are poor, some are much poorer than others, and that it is not their fault.
“Government has responsibility to identify those ones, the poorest of the poor, not to shed crocodile tears for them or with them, but to boldly appropriate public funds structured in a way that will deliver some relief to these categories of our country men and women, he said.”
“For too long, everybody lamented the growing numbers of unemployed youths, and in this democracy, the youths are the most active, they are the most vibrant. Everybody says the youths are the leaders of tomorrow, but we are unable to define when is tomorrow.
“ I believe President Muhammadu Buhari has defined tomorrow to mean today, and that government needs to demonstrate beyond rhetoric that not only do we reject this unacceptable level of youth idleness,” he added.
