FG Flags Off N-Power Batch C

The Federal government on Monday flagged off the Batch C, Stream One 9f the N-Power programmme, with a pledge to work harder towards achieving drastic reduction in the incidence of poverty in the country.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social  Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, who launched the programme said about one million Nigerians would benefit from the programmme.

At the launch of the N-Power Batch A, 200, 000 Nigerians benefited from the programme, while 500, 000 Nigeria  were beneficiaries in the Batch B of N-Power that was launched in 2017. 

N-Power is one of the major planks through which government is tackling poverty in the country through the instrumentality of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP).

The other planks of the NSIP are the Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP) and the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme.

Sadiya Farouq described the launch of the Batch C, Stream One  as a  watershed in the history of the ministry and congratulated the beneficiaries who made it to the final selection stage.

She explained that the N-Power programme has four major goals which include direct intervention and improvement of the livelihood of a critical mass of young unemployed Nigerians and the development of a qualitative system for the transfer employability, enterpreneurial and technical skills.

The other goals of the programme are the creation of an ecosystem of solutions for ailing public services and government diversification politics as well as the development and enhancement of Nigeria’s knowledge economy.

According to the minister, the N-Power has three core components;  namely the N-Power Volunteer Corps which is a graduate programme, the N-Power Build, a non graduate programme and the N-Power Knowledge which is also a non graduate programme.

She further stated that the N-Power Volunteer Corps ” are strategically attached to selected places where they will provide technical services while receiving work experience”.

The minister said the Volunteer Teachers under the programme would help improve basic education delivery in the country as ” these volunteers would function to support teachers across public primary  schools in Nigeria”.

The National Coordinator of  NSIP, Dr Umar Bindir in his remarks  said that the federal government is working towards institutionalizing the fight against poverty in order to have a streamlined approach to poverty alleviation in the country.

Bindir said government is working to ensure that the fight against poverty in institutionalized rather than the current approach of each administration having its own poverty eradication strategy.

He disclosed that government plans to reduce the poverty rate to a single digit before the end of next year.

He blamed the ugly situation to the fight against poverty being reduced to mere programmes which fizzle out at the end of each administration. 

According to him, the past interventions made by previous administrations include Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP), under late Gen. Sani Abacha, National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) under Good luck Jonathan.

The minister of Women Affairs, Dame Paulen Tallen , Minister of State for Trade and  Investment, Hajiya Kaltungu were on hand to lend their support and presented goodwill messages.

Popular Nigerian Music Star, D’Banj was also on hand to add colour to the event which attracted quality crowd at the NAF Conference Center, Abuja.