Skills and knowledge are the driving forces of economic growth and social development of any great nation. Despite the current high level of unemployment, harnessing Nigeria’s young demography through appropriate skill development efforts provides an opportunity to achieve inclusion and productivity within the country. Large-scale skill development is the main policy thrust of the N-Power Programme.
What is N-Power?
N-Power is a youth empowerment scheme sponsored by the Federal Government of Nigeria. N-Power addresses the challenge of youth unemployment by providing a structure for large-scale and relevant work skills acquisition and development while linking its core and outcomes to fixing inadequate public services and stimulating the larger economy.
N-Power aspires to provide a platform where most Nigerians can access skills acquisition and development. N-Power is designed for Nigerian citizens between the ages of 18 and 35. The modular programmes under N-Power will ensure that each participant will learn and practice most of what is necessary to find or create work.
The N-Power Programmes
The N-Power programmes are broadly categorized into two broad categories, N-Power Graduate Categories and N-Power Non-Graduate Categories.
N-Power Graduate Categories.
The N-Power Graduate category also known as N-Power Volunteer Corps is the post-tertiary engagement initiative for Nigerians between 18 and 35. It is a paid volunteering programme of a 2-year duration. The graduates will undertake their primary tasks in identified public services within their proximate communities.
All N-Power Volunteers are entitled to computing devices that will contain information necessary for their specific engagement, as well as information for their continuous training and development. N-Power volunteers will provide teaching, instructional, and advisory solutions in 4 key areas which include;
- N-Power Agro: N-Power Agro Volunteers will provide advisory services to farmers across the country. They will disseminate the knowledge that has been aggregated by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the area of extension services.
- N-Power Health: N-Power Health Volunteers will help improve and promote preventive healthcare in their communities to vulnerable members of the society including pregnant women and children and to families and individuals.
- N-Power Teach: N-Power Teach Volunteers will help improve basic education delivery in Nigeria. N-Power Teach Volunteers will be deployed as teacher assistants in primary schools around Nigeria.
- N-Power Tax: N-Power volunteers will be selected to work as Community Tax Liaison Officers to work in their states of residence with the state’s tax authorities. The N-Power community tax liaison officers will have responsibilities which will include answering online inquiries, customer management, creating awareness of tax compliance.
Also Read: 7 Business Grants & Loans For Small Businesses In Nigeria.
N-Power Non-Graduate Categories.
The N-Power Non-Graduate category is designed to train and empower non-graduates with skills that they can use for the betterment of themselves and the economy at large. The programme offers training and certification programme for all successful candidates.
The N-Power Non-Graduate category will provide training and certifications in 2 key areas which include;
- N-Power Knowledge: The N-Power Knowledge programme is the Federal Government’s first step towards diversifying to a knowledge economy. This programme will work alongside the planned eight innovation hubs across the country to provide incubation and acceleration of the technology and creative industries. The programme is a ‘Training to Jobs’ initiative, essentially ensuring that participants can get engaged in the marketplace in an outsourcing capacity, as freelancers, as employees, and as entrepreneurs.
- N-Power Build: N-Power Build is an accelerated training and certification (Skills to Job) programme that will engage and train 75,000 young unemployed Nigerians in order to build a new crop of a skilled and highly competent workforce of technicians, artisans and service professionals.
N-Power Registration Requirements.
To apply for N-Power, you will need to meet the minimum requirements (if any) for your respective programme. Generally, the selection is based on:
→ On your expression of a genuine interest in whichever area you decide;
→ Passing the relevant tests;
→ Your willingness to push yourself beyond your comfort zone; and
→ Ability to show a flair to develop all the skills you need to be the best you can be.
Every N-Power applicants must meet certain criteria:
→ Age is between 18-35 years.
→ An unemployed graduate or undergraduate.
→ Problem-solving skills.
→ Analytical.
→ Able to undertake self-tutorship.
→ Basic illustration skills for animation and graphic arts.
For registration you need to provide the following information on the NPower portal: BVN, CV, NYSC certificate and number, Passport photographs, ND and NCE degree certificate and the e-mail address you currently use.
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