The N-Power scheme, a flagship initiative introduced during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to address youth unemployment and promote social development, has been suspended indefinitely by the Federal Government.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, made this announcement during an interview with TVC News.
Edu cited several flaws within the N-Power scheme as the driving force behind this decision. One of the key concerns is the misuse of funds allocated to the programme since its inception. The government has initiated a thorough investigation into the utilisation of these funds.
One significant issue identified by the Minister is the presence of beneficiaries who are not fulfilling their assigned duties yet continue to receive monthly stipends. Some of these beneficiaries were supposed to have exited the programme in 2022 but remain on the payroll.
In her statement, the minister, emphasised the need to scrutinise the N-Power programme comprehensively.
She highlighted the government’s intention to determine the exact number of individuals currently enrolled in the programme, the outstanding amounts owed to them, and the extent of restructuring required.
“We must go back to look into N-Power and understand what the problems are, so we will basically suspend the programme for now until we are done with a proper investigation into the utilisation of funds in the N-Power programme,” Minister Edu explained.
“We want to know how many persons are basically on the programme right now, how many persons are owed, and the amount they are owed. We are totally restructuring the N-Power and expanding it.”
She also raised concerns about beneficiaries who claim to be actively working within the programme but are found to be absent from their designated places of assignment. This situation has led to beneficiaries receiving salaries despite not fulfilling their responsibilities.
According to her, approximately 80 percent of beneficiaries are not actively engaged in their assigned roles, yet they continue to demand salaries.
