Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government said it has received 5 million applications for the Batch C N-Power scheme, while it intends to employ 400,000 people.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, in a statement yesterday by her Special Adviser on Strategic Communication, Halima Oyelade, said due diligence would be applied during the next stages to select qualified applicants.
The statement read: “The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management and Social Development, wishes to officially inform the general public that registration of Batch C of N-Power has closed on Sunday 9th of August, 2020.
“The registration which commenced on the 26th of June 2020 was initially scheduled to end on the 26th of July but the Ministry extended the date by two weeks to avail those that were unable to do so to apply. A total of 5,042,001 Nigerian youths have applied as at the end of the exercise.
“The Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq, re-assured Nigerians that due diligence will be applied during the next stages of the selection to ensure that only duly qualified applicants are enrolled. The Ministry will ensure that the applicants, as well as the general public, are kept fully informed on the progress of the scheme.
“The Minister further added that the N-Power program is aimed to provide the Nigerian youths with opportunities to gain skills for employability and entrepreneurship which will also go along way in assisting the country towards the post Covid 19 economic recovery.
“She added that women and persons with disability will be prioritized during the selection.”
Farouq said her Ministry “remains committed to the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari to lift 100 Hundred million Nigerians out of Poverty in the next l0 years and identified the N-power as one of the platforms that can assist in the realisation of that vision.”