The N-Power Programme, a federal government initiative to address youth unemployment and social intervention, has been marred by complaints of non-payment of monthly stipends by some of its beneficiaries.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) spoke to some of the aggrieved participants who expressed their frustration and hardship caused by the delay of their N30,000 monthly allowances.
Mr Francisco Noah, a Batch C1 beneficiary of the N-Teach segment, said he had stopped teaching at a nomadic school in Keffi, Nasarawa State, because he could not afford the transportation cost. He said he had only received 12 months of payment since he joined the programme in January 2021, and the last time he got his stipend was in November 2022.
Mr Usman Dantala, a Batch C2 beneficiary of the N-Agro segment, said he had only received three months of payment since he enrolled in the programme in October 2022. He said he was not posted to any place of primary assignment, despite making several inquiries. He said he needed the skills to be self-reliant, but he was not getting any support from the programme.
The National Programme Manager of the N-Power Scheme, Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, had earlier announced a temporary suspension of the programme, saying that the government would only pay those with genuine claims. He said the suspension and investigation of the scheme were necessary to restore the nation’s confidence in it.
The N-Power Programme was launched by the federal government on June 8, 2016, as a component of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (N-SIPA).
The programme aimed to provide young Nigerians with skills, knowledge, and experience to enhance their employability and entrepreneurship. However, the programme has been plagued by various challenges, such as irregular payment, poor monitoring, and inadequate infrastructure.
