The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, led by Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, the pioneer minister, has ensured that exited batches A and B N-Power beneficiaries under the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) are not plunged back into poverty and unemployment by collaborating with relevant agencies to make beneficiaries under NEXIT access loans to establish or support existing businesses. PAUL OKAH reports.
During his electioneering in 2014, President Muhammadu Buhari promised Nigerians positive changes by revamping the economy, curbing corruption and improving security.
To walk the talk, in 2016, President Buhari created the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), which was overseen by the office of the Vice President, until the creation of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHADMSD) in 2019, which took over the NSIP, with Sadiya Umar Farouq as its pioneer minister to oversee the numerous intervention programmes of the ministry.
The NSIP houses the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), N-Power, Conditional Cash Transfer, Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), among others, which are aimed at ensuring that Nigerians are lifted up from poverty.
The N-Power programme, targeted at school leavers and school graduates, ensures that beneficiaries earn N30, 000 monthly stipends from the federal government until they are exited from the programme or secure permanent employment.
The N-Power programme is a critical part of the NSIP domiciled in the FMHADMSD and designed to achieve the National objectives of poverty reduction and job creation. The N-Power programme is key to helping young Nigerians acquire and develop life-long skills that ensure they become solution providers and entrepreneurs in their communities.
At inception
From inception, N-Power had three core segments, including N-Power Volunteer Corps (for graduates), N-Power Build (for non graduates) and N-Power Knowledge- which is also a non-graduate programme for ICT-inclined Nigerians and that embodies the N-Tech Hardware, N-Tech Software and the N-Creative training programme.
Recently, more segments have been embedded into the N-Power programme such as the N-Skills, which is for youth with no formal education, who would be trained in different vocational skills and trades. The Mobile Money Agents is also for the financial inclusion of this youth segment.
Nevertheless, many N-Power beneficiaries, comprising Batch A and Batch B have been exited from the programme in order to make way for the commencement of the Batch C programme.
In August, 2021, the federal government flagged-off the N-Power Batch C programme for one million beneficiaries across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The minister’s disclosures
Speaking during the flag-off the exercise in Abuja, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, said that the Batch C is divided into stream C1 of 510,000 beneficiaries and stream C2 for 490,000 beneficiaries as, under the Batch C1, a total of 450,000 have been selected to benefit under the graduate component, while 60,000 beneficiaries will be non-graduate beneficiaries.
She said: “Based on approval, the portal for Batch C N-Power programme was again opened in June 2020, and over 6 million new applications were received. 1,000,000 beneficiaries will be mined from this as the N-Power Batch C. The batch C is divided into 2 streams. Stream C1 of 510,000 beneficiaries and stream C2 for 490,000 beneficiaries. Under the Batch C1, a total of 450,000 have been selected to benefit under the graduate component, while 60,000 beneficiaries will be non-graduate beneficiaries.
“Some innovations have been introduced into the N-Power selection and payment processes such as the creation of the National Social Investment Management Systems (NASIMS), partnership with key MDAs including the NYSC, the UBEC, the NPHCDA, the NOA to mention, but a few, with which the Ministry is leveraging to effectively implement its interventions.”
Exited beneficiaries’ incentives
In order for those who have exited the programme not to fall back into poverty, the FMHADMSD perfected plans to ensure that the exited N-Power beneficiaries, code-named NEXIT, are empowered with loans to set up or sustain existing businesses.
The ministry, in collaboration with the G-Consulting International Services Ltd., on March 14, commenced the training of 467,183 exited batches A and B N-Power beneficiaries from the 36 states of Nigeria and the FCT on empowerment skills; in order to access loans from the CBN to set up business and to curb unemployment, under NSIP.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony of the NEXIT CBN Agric Business, Small and Medium Enterprises Scheme (AGSMEIS), Hajia Farouq, who was represented by the permanent secretary of the Ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, said for ease of coordination, the five-day training will be conducted in phases, with 75,600 beneficiaries participating in this first batch of the training, adding that the government will continue to train the remaining batches in no distant time.
“It has been my desire that the exited batches A and B N-Power graduate beneficiaries would not be left unattended to. In different channels, I kept on assuring these teaming youths that the FMHADMSD has worked very closely with the Central Bank of Nigeria to realize this dream. Today marks the beginning of the fulfilment of this awaited training that will enable those beneficiaries that indicated interest to participate in the CBN empowerment programme.
“Let me commence by congratulating the 467,183 trainees that indicated interest in the NEXIT CBN AGSMEIS programme from the 500,000 batches A and B N-Power graduate beneficiaries. It has been my desire that the exited batches A and B N-Power graduate beneficiaries would not be left unattended to. In different channels, I kept on assuring these teaming youths that the FMHADMSD has worked very closely with the Central Bank of Nigeria to realise this dream,” she said.
According to her, “Today marks the beginning of the fulfilment of this awaited training that will enable those beneficiaries that indicated interest to participate in the CBN empowerment programme.
“From available records, 467,183 applicants were submitted for the confirmation process in February this year. From the records, we identified 182,976 female and 284,191 males while 16 did not specify. 263,998 of these applicants have confirmed their availability to participate in the training programme.
“For ease of coordination, this training programme would be conducted in phases. Let me also inform you that all the 36 States and FCT are participating in this long awaited NEXIT training programme. A total of 75,600 participants are in this first batch of the training. We will continue to train the remaining batches in no distant time.
“I thank President Muhammadu Buhari for his administration’s unwavering efforts in eradicating poverty in our country and for supporting and sustaining the NSIP. His love in uplifting the poor and vulnerable out of poverty is unprecedented. I must thank all stakeholders for their support and wish the trainees all the best as they commence the journey into self-sustenance through this entrepreneurial training, which would lead them to greater heights.”
Also speaking, the Group Managing Director of G-Consulting International Services Ltd., Mr. Godfrey Sunday, said the training would empower the participants with the prerequisite skills to be able to access a maximum of N3 million loans from the CBN at five per cent interest rate.
He said, “Depending on the nature of business you want to venture into after the training, you can get a maximum of N3m loan from the CBN, to be repaid after seven years, at 5% interest loan. It is not even up to a single digit. Therefore, the training is important to know the processes involved in the loan. Even after the training, my firm is available for further mentorship of participants.”
What the beneficiaries are saying
Speaking with Blueprint Weekend at the training, a Batch A N-Power beneficiary, Mrs. Jennifer Ahanatu, said she had been using savings from her N-Power days to engage in small scale businesses and hoped to get loans from the CBN to sustain her business.
“Just like the N-Power programme, I was surprised when I applied for the CBN AGSMEIS programme and was selected even without knowing anyone. I didn’t know that the ministry was that transparent. I look forward to getting the required training in the next five days in order to know how to go about accessing loans from the CBN to support my bakery and farming business,” she said.
Similarly, Daniel Ifeanyi, a Batch B beneficiary, who is into poultry business, said the latest intervention by the federal government is a testimonial to the fact that President Buhari and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, are really serious about lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty and curbing unemployment.
He said, “This is the best programme that can be sponsored by the federal government. I was able to save some money during my N-Power days. However, it has not been easy since my batch was exited. I was happy to be selected for the CBN AGSMEIS training and I look forward to accessing the loan to support my poultry business.”
