Don’t scrap N-Power Programme – Northern group warns FG

The ProActive Northern Initiative (PANI) has called on the Federal Government to halt its plans to suspend the N-Power program and parts of the Social Investment Programme. The group emphasized the positive impact of N-Power in providing jobs and steering Northern youth away from extremist ideologies.

Comrade Isa Aliyu Musa, the convener of PANI, issued the statement, urging the government to reconsider its decision and expand the N-Power program. This expansion, they argue, would create more opportunities for youth, instigating positive change and contributing to the region’s progress.

Musa stated, “We emphatically repudiate the vilification of our respected northern leadership for whatever reason or justification. In this light, we deem the targeting of our leaders past and present… immoral and illegal, and therefore unacceptable.”

PANI noted that the N-Power program, initiated in 2016 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, had been instrumental in providing employment and skill development opportunities for many young Nigerians, particularly in the north. The program, part of the National Social Investment Program (NSIP), aimed to alleviate poverty and enhance the well-being of citizens.

The group acknowledged the need for efficiency and effectiveness in government programs but emphasized that suspending N-Power at this critical time would adversely affect many young Nigerians relying on the program for their livelihoods.

PANI expressed concern about the fragile security situation in Northern Nigeria, emphasizing that the suspension could exacerbate the already pressing security challenges. They stressed that empowering youth through N-Power was vital for deterring criminal activities and extremist ideologies.

“The suspension of the N-Power program by the Nigerian government is likely to have a negative impact on the fragile security situation in Northern Nigeria,” the statement added. The group urged the government to focus on expanding the program’s reach and impact to bolster economic growth and reduce vulnerability to extremist ideologies.

PANI added that the abrupt suspension of the N-Power program came at a critical time when economic challenges, unemployment, and uncertainty were prevalent.

They called on all stakeholders to work together to improve the lives of the people in Northern Nigeria and address the existing socioeconomic disparities.