NAN-HE-24
N-power
Kano, Dec. 20, 2016 (NAN) The Kano State Government has expressed concern over the low number of youths selected to participate in the Federal Government’s N-Power programme.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria-Power Job creation programme is one of the Federal Government’s social intervention programmes established to empower the youths.
The state Commissioner of Information, Malam Mohammed Garba, made the complaint in an interview with NAN in Kano on Tuesday.
“Despite the fact that Kano is the most populous state in the country, available data has shown that over 20,000 youths from the state applied for the scheme, yet only 4,966 were selected,” Garba said.
He said the state government had concluded arrangements to mobilise the youth in the state with a view to sensitising them on the importance of the programme.
“The state government is seriously concerned over the low number of beneficiaries of the N-Power programme selected from the state.
“This informed our decision to mobilise our youths to appreciate the importance of the programme.
“The state government is not blaming the Federal Government because we know it is a process that will continue in January 2017.
“The N-power portal will be opened again in January 2017. Therefore, the youth, especially the graduates, should participate fully so that the state can fill the gap,”the commissioner said.
According to him, the N-Power programme is a Federal Government empowerment programme aimed at reducing the high rate of unemployment in the country.
Garba,however, commended the Federal Government for initiating the programme which he said would go along way in improving the living standard of Nigerians. (NAN)
AABS/MTM/AMY
Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf