Tinubu’s government gives new update on N-Power program

The Federal Government has taken the step of indefinitely suspending the N-Power program. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, disclosed this during an interview on TVC News over the weekend, citing identified irregularities within the scheme as the reason behind the suspension.

Edu emphasized that a thorough investigation will be initiated to scrutinize the allocation and expenditure of funds since the inception of the N-Power program. Shedding light on the suspension’s rationale and future course of action, the minister stated, “We need to revisit the N-Power program and address its challenges. Consequently, we are suspending the program temporarily until a comprehensive audit of fund utilization is completed.”

“We intend to determine the current enrollment, outstanding payment obligations, and verify the actual beneficiaries. We are committed to overhauling and expanding the N-Power program.”

Edu further highlighted certain issues, saying, “We have encountered instances where individuals who should have exited the program last year are still claiming to be actively engaged, despite evidence to the contrary. We’ve reached out to schools and workplaces where these individuals were supposedly stationed, only to find no evidence of their presence. Yet, they persist in claiming unpaid stipends for eight or nine months.”

The N-Power program, initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, was established to address youth unemployment and promote social development in Nigeria.