By Bashir Bello

KANO – The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq on Wednesday said the Federal Government will soon enlist additional 400,000 youths under the N-power program.

Umar-Farouq said the youths will be enlisted under Batch C2 for the program which is aimed at equipping the youths with life-long skills.

The Minister represented by her Deputy Director, Finance and Account, Muhammad Sambo stated this during the closing ceremony for over 3,000 youths trained in software and hardware skills under the Batch C1 of the N-Knowledge component of the N-Power programme.

READ ALSO:Fidelity Bank rewards 10 customers with N1m each

According to her, “It is no longer news that Mr. President has approved that N-Power be expanded to accommodate one million beneficiaries. We have carefully implemented this where the Batch C1 accommodates a total of 510,000 beneficiaries and the batch C2 will commence soon. This is to enlist more Nigerian youths into the programme.

“It is a well-known fact that N-Power programme is a critical part of the 

National Social Investment Programmes domiciled in the Federal Ministry of 

Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development 

(FMHADMSD) and designed to achieve the National objectives of poverty 

reduction and job creation. The N-Power programme is key to helping young 

Nigerians acquire and develop life-long skills that ensure they become solution 

providers and entrepreneurs in their communities.

“N-Power has 3 core segments: N-Power Volunteer Corps – the Graduate programme, N-Power Build – Non graduate programme and N-Power Knowledge – Which is a non-graduate programme and embodies the N-Tech Hardware, N-Tech Software and the N-Creative training programmes (Animation and Scriptwriting).

“N-Knowledge programme is focused on 

equipping young Nigerians with relevant skills and certification to become 

competent workers, innovators and entrepreneurs prepared for both the 

domestic and global digital job market. N-Knowledge programme targets to

upskill 20,000 young Nigerians on the global radar as exporters of world- class 

services and content in the creative and information technology sectors. The 

shortfall of about 7,000 will be mopped up as soon as possible to meet up with 

the target of 20,000 as earmarked for this tranche.

“This training component is targeted at developing competencies of the 

youth in software development, Hardware training and creative industry which is catalytic as well as the groundwork to make Nigeria compete in the outsourcing market for software development. It will develop the skills and capacities along the skills set in the value chain of website development, mobile apps maintenance and start the talent development effort for the growth of information technology industry in Nigeria.”

She added that, “The Ministry is committed to ensuring that the strategic objectives of all the social intervention programmes are achieved and sustained.

“Permit me at this juncture to thank 

His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari for his administration’s

unwavering efforts in eradicating poverty in our country and for supporting and 

sustaining the National Social Investment Programmes,” Umar-Farouq however stated.