The Federal Government (FG) has explained that the N5.9 billion spent on N-power beneficiaries in Kano, wasn’t only to cover the training/tooling and payments of about 177 youths in smartphone repairs in the state.
In a statement by Nneke Anibeze, a media aide to Sadiya Umar Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, she said contrary to the popular claim, the N5.9 billion was what N-power activities in Kano State have so far gulped.
“The ministry hereby re-states that the estimated N5.9bn quoted is the amount spent on all the N-Power activities and beneficiaries in Kano State over the period of engagement.
“The graduate and non-graduate components of the N-Power programme have been expanded to provide job opportunities for 16,629 unemployed youths in Kano State under Batch C.
“This is following the successful exiting of 18,042 youths under Batches A and B. You may wish to note that under the National Social Investment Programme, the Federal Government is investing over N5.9bn for the training, tooling and/or payment of monthly stipends on the Batch C beneficiaries.
“This is a tremendous direct injection of resources at the grassroots and in the hands of the youths,” the statement quoted Farouq as saying.
While noting that it was unfair to report that the N5.9 billion was only for N-Skills (phone repairs training and kitting), the ministry said just like in all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the implementation of N-Power in Kano State had 13,890 Batch C graduate beneficiaries, 2,966 non-graduate beneficiaries, including 175 phone repair technicians.
“All non-graduate beneficiaries are entitled to tools and starter pack grants after training to proceed and establish their business.
“These resources cover the lump-sum investment for all N-Power implementation in Kano state including mobile money agents training and kitting, N-Build training and kitting, N-Knowledge training and kitting, stipend payment for graduate volunteers and indeed the N-Skills pilot 1 (smartphone repairs),” the statement stated.
Floated by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016, N-power is a social scheme designed to address Nigeria’s unemployment rates and help increase social development.
