2.3 million applications, 200,000 engaged under N-Power programme – Osinbajo

About 2.3 million graduates have so far applied for engagement under the Nigerian government’s N-Power programme, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo said on Friday.

He also said out of this number, about 200,000 have already been engaged.

Mr. Osinbajo said this when he visited the N-Power call centre at the office of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NPHDC, in Abuja to distribute electronic tablets to young people who will work at the centre.

The acting president said the government while not promising to meet all demands would do as much as it could to help the youths.

He said the government would try to surmount the 500,000 young persons it set as target to engage this year.

He said the electronic gadgets issued to them would allow them hone their respective skills.

The acting president said N-Power is much more than an employment programme, but is also “a learning programme, a skills development programme and is unprecedented. I haven’t seen anything like this anywhere in the world.”

Mr. Osinbajo also explained why some persons already engaged are having problems getting paid their stipends.

He said this may be due to the inability of the government to verify the Bank Verification Numbers, BVN supplied by some of them.

“There is no such thing as a backlog. If your BVN is verified and everything is checked, you will be paid.”

At the event, the Managing Director of NDPHC, Joseph Ugbo, said his office decided to offer space to the call centre because it is an initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I understand the benefits of the programme to Nigerians, so we are committed to the project,” he said.