Sadiya Umar-Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, on Wednesday, announced a plan by the Federal Government to call up additional 400,000 youths under the N-power program.
The Minister, who spoke in Kano at the closing ceremony of the N-Knowledge training Batch C1, said the figure was part of one million N-power beneficiaries approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.
She explained that “We have carefully implemented this where the batch C1 accommodates a total of 510,000 beneficiaries and the batch C2 will commence soon.”
Hajiya Umar-Farouq disclosed that the 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.
The Minister who was represented at the occasion by Muhammad Sambo, Deputy Director, Finance and Account, of the ministry, stated over 3,000 youths from the Northwest zone were trained in software and hardware skills under the Batch C1 of the N-Knowledge component of the N-Power Programme.
She explained that “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, adding that the programme would help position young Nigerians in both domestic and global markets.
The Minister said “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.”
