FG set to employ 200,000 unemployed graduates

 Press statement from the presidency

 All is now set for the deployment of 200,000 unemployed graduates selected in the first batch of the Buhari administration's plan to hire half a million Nigerians.While the 200,000 have been selected about two weeks ago, their names have now been sent to state governments and the FCT who would deploy them to their specific programme assignments.

 The names would also be published this week on the N-Power internet portal, while the participants would start receiving SMS messages informing them of their selection as from Monday November 21, 2016.

State governments and the FCT are also encouraged to post the names of the successful first batch applicants in their local government areas while there would be further public announcements.

Between now and the end of the month, the states and the FCT would be engaged in deploying the graduates who would formally start working and earning their stipends on December 1, 2016.

Of the 200,000 first batch, 150,000 of them would teach, 30,000 would work in the Agric sector and 20,000 in Healthcare delivery covering the three specific programme assignments.

The N-Power Volunteer Corps is an expression of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to invest in the human capital development of Nigerian citizens, particularly our young people. The N-Power programmme is also an innovative means to enhance ailing public services in the area of basic education and primary healthcare. Also in the agric sector, it is aimed at achieving self-sufficiency by giving our farmers relevant advisory services.

The Federal Government of Nigeria hereby congratulates all 200,000 successful applicants in the first batch, and they are encouraged to take this opportunity seriously by learning the skills that will brighten their future. They are also implored to serve their communities with commitment and dedication.

For those who have not been selected at this time, there is a waiting list based on the total number of applicants, and subsequent batches will absorb more of the qualified applicants.

All together, the N-Power will engage and train 500,000 young unemployed graduates. It is a paid volunteering programme of a 2-year duration that engages graduates in their immediate communities, where they will assist in improving the inadequacies in the education, health, and agriculture sectors.

The 500,000 graduates under the N-Power Corps programme will be trained in skills that will enable them exit after two years to economically viable job and business opportunities.

As part of the programme, the participnts would own tablets that will contain information necessary for their specific engagements, as well as information for their continuous training and developments.

Participants will be provided teaching, instructional, and advisory solutions in 4 main focus areas, and will be paid a monthly stipend of N30,000 during the programme. The 4 main focus areas are in basic education, agriculture extension services, public health and community education (civic and adult education).

Besides the N-Power programme for undergraduates, there are other schemes for non-graduates. These are: N-Power Knowledge, which would select 25,000 young Nigerians and N-Power Build 75,000, all of whom shall be trained and paid during the duration of the scheme.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity
In the Office of the Vice President
November 20, 2016