Northern Coalition To FG: Give Ex N-Power Enrollees Soft Loan For Business

As the Federal Government is set to admit Batch-C N-Power enrollees, Coalition of Northern Civil Society groups has called on the Government to give soft loan to the beneficiaries of the first phase of the programme to enable them establish businesses.

This was even as it called on politicians from the North to convert their campaign and constituency offices to temporary cyber Cafe to improve the chances of youths from the region being enrolled in the Federal Government’s N-Power social programme.

The Coalition which made the call at Arewa House, Kaduna on Thursday said the call became imperative to allow more Northern youths access to the internet and prevent them from lagging behind.

Spokesman of the group and President of Northern Anti-Corruption Front, Yusuf Idris Amoke urged youths to enroll in the batch ‘C’ of the programme under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

According to him, “We are glad to receive the news that the Federal Government through the Office of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk, has prepared to enroll youths in their numbers into the N-Power programme,’ the statement read.

“The programme which started with 200 thousand youths has since been increased to 500 hundred thousand over time, which is a huge number that has made a significant impact in assisting these youths.

“As the first phase comes to an end, we urge the government through the honourable minister to provide soft loan for the beneficiaries of this phase in order to establish businesses.

“We equally urge the minister to pay much attention to people who are already working but still enroll on the programme thereby blocking the spaces of genuine youths who are in dire need of such intervention.

“We call on the Northern youths to endeavour to apply to the N-Power programme in other to fill the quota of the 19 Northern states to avoid crying foul that people from other parts of the country have taken their chances.

“Well equally call on Northern political officeholders – from councilors, council Chairmen to members of Houses of Assembly and representatives to convert their campaign/constituency offices into registration points by providing free internet facilities to aid easy registration by our youths,” the Coalition said.