N-Power: FG To Hire Additional 350,000 Graduates

Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari has requested appropriation of N157.75B in the 2017 budget estimates for the N-Power scheme.

Akande explained that the N-Power is one of the many Social Investment Programmes (SIP) of the Buhari presidency, currently deliberated as part of the 2017 Budget Proposalat the National Assembly.

“Out of the N-Power 2017 N157B 2017 budget, 350,000 unemployed graduates more would be hired and trained, alongside 50,000 non-graduates youths to be engaged as artisans and in other creative ventures,” Akande said.

“Under the N157.75bn also, a sum of N4.5bn has been earmarked for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, STEM programme to support young Nigerians in building skills in those disciplines.

“While we were able to engage 200,000 unemployed graduates last year, we will do 350,000 more this year. Some of the teething problems are giving way to lessons that would ease implementation under the 2017 budget.”

Akande disclosed that about N75B had been allocated for the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, which will provide one hot meal a day to 5 million primary school pupils.

He added that N112.2bn has been allocated to the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) aimed at providing interest-free loans to up to 1.2million market men and women, traders, artisans, youths and farmers.

Under the GEEP, he explained that beneficiaries will receive between N10,000 and N100,000 loans with a one-time 5% administrative fee. Already under the 2016 budget, over 20,000 Nigerians in about 14 states and counting, have been benefiting from GEEP.

“The plan in 2016 budget targets one million poorest and vulnerable Nigerians. And in the 2017 budget an additional N54.98B has been allocated for the continuation of the N5000 monthly social safety net payments to the poorest Nigerians”, he said.

Akande revealed that President Buhari approved N100bn out of N500bn social intervention programmes fund, and has been allocated for the Family Homes Fund (FHF).

Similarly, the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) which has kicked off in 9 states would be further expanded under the 2016 budget and will reach more states and much more Nigerians.

“This year’s implementation of the SIP is going to be far more impactful than what we were able to do under the 2016 budget, so Nigerians should expect more this year, the resolve of the Buhari presidency is firm that more lives must be touched positively under this programmes which Nigerians have come to appreciate,” he said.