NEXIT: Uncertainty as FG launches N-Power Batch C

The Federal Government on Thursday through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development launches the N-Power Batch C’s National Social Investment Management System (NASIMS) at a Press Conference in Abuja raising the hope of millions of applicants who applied for the programme in June, 2020.

The Federal Government had in June, 2020 asked unemployed graduates to apply for the NPower programme in line with its mandate to lift one million Nigerians out of poverty. As at the closed of registration last year, the portal was said to have received over 5 million applications.

The launch of the Batch C NPower programme is indeed a welcome development as this will reduce the alarming rate of unemployment among Nigerian graduates. But, the question in the minds of public analylists and political watchers is: What is the Future of NPower Volunteer Batches A and B that were exited in June and July respectively in 2020?

Currently, the application process made available for the exited Volunteers tagged NEXIT for them to be transited into full employment has been plagued with numerous challenges. Such as the inability to login to the portal through beneficiaries’registered e-mail with NPower.

The Volunteers have also complained of unnecessary delay as the registration for the NEXIT programme enters its fourth month.

These are issues the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, HM Sadiya Farouq needs to resolve before the implementation of the Batch C NPower.

There is also the need to expedite action in the disbursement of loan to selected exited NPower volunteers.

The Federal Government had in November 2020 launched the NEXIT portal to enable exited N-Power beneficiaries apply for the Centra Bank of Nigeria’s empowerment options.

Moshood Karim O. writes from Edo State