Just in: Why we should permanent Npower beneficiaries

The National Social Investment Programmes (NSIPs) created by the Federal Government in 2016 for poverty alleviation and job creation especially the Npower which has empowered over 500,000 youths in various arms of the programme. The programmes under Npower include Npower Teach, Npower Health, Npower Agro, Npower Build, Npower Tech and Npower Creative all of which give the beneficiaries monthly stipends for their upkeep. This has by far helped many depressed youths to bring back hope alive when it was launched.

However, their confidence in the programme is fading gradually since beneficiaries continue to experience delay in the payment of their stipends and turning their hopes into despair.
The programme which was clearly stated to last 2 years still has its pioneer beneficiaries in their 39th month of the programme. Although, the reason for the extension of service according to N-power officials, is to be able to finalize the exit plan for the volunteers so that they will not return to the street as unemployed graduates. But, since the announcement of the exit plan in 2019 till date there has been no visible step taken by the government as regards to this promise.

According to the interview made with some of the volunteers at two local governments of Niger State, Edati and Gbako, they stood on the fact that there is no exit package that would outweigh giving them permanent employment. A female volunteer who pleaded anonymous said she appreciates the Federal government and the monthly stipends though it's meagre but it still go a long way in supporting her husband for family upkeep and that all she want now is permanency in the federal ministry. Research also made it known that many of the male volunteers are married and their main source of income is from Npower that getting them back to the street could be hazardous to them.

Looking at the security state of the nation, Powermedium urges the Federal Government to consider giving the volunteers permanent employment.
In the meantime, please join Afolabi Imoukhuede, the Senior Special Assistant to the President for a Facebook Live chat on Wednesday, March 4th, 2020 by 7:00pm
Where he will be answering all the questions important to you.

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