JUST IN: Five states, banks to engage N-Power beneficiaries (see details)

Five states, two Deposit Money Banks, the Nigeria Police Force and other private companies in Nigeria have expressed their readiness to engage beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s N-Power Programme.

Information available to our correspondent shows that the five states are Kaduna, Kebbi, Imo, Kwara and Bayelsa while the DMBs are First City Monument Bank and Zenith Bank.

President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the N-Power Programme in 2016. It is a graduate and non-graduate job enhancement scheme that is being facilitated by the Federal Government with support from state and local governments as well the private sector.

The Federal Government through the National Social Investment Office had announced on Friday that no date had been made public for the exit of the first batch of volunteers enrolled under the scheme.

It added that states and private firms were being consulted to permanently engage N-Power beneficiaries.

When contacted by our correspondent to name states that had indicated interest, the Communications Manager, NSIO, Justice Bibiye, said the responses from many states had been favourable.

Although Bibiye could not name the states, he referred our correspondent to a former Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment, Maryam Uwais, who confirmed the interest of the states and the banks.

Uwais said, “We have spoken to several governors to recruit permanent staff from the first batch of N-power beneficiaries, especially since all of them have been working in the states’ public sector for almost three years.

“Many have indicated interest and have asked for details of numbers, places of assignment and Local Government Areas of residence. They include Kaduna, Kebbi, Imo, Kwara and Bayelsa. All the governors would be engaged on a one-on-one basis over time.”

She added, “Shared Agent Network Expansion Facility, FCMB and Zenith Bank have indicated interest in supporting them as mobile money agents. IBM has offered to train them on technology pathways.”