THE IMPACT OF N-POWER PROGRAMME ON YOUTH ENTERPRISE IN MINNA METROPOLIS

Abstract

The study examined the impact of N-Power programmes on youth empowerment in Minna Metropolis, Niger State. A cross sectional survey design was used in this study to generate data. A sample of 225 respondent youths were obtained from 512 total number of N-Power beneficiaries in the metropolis for the study. The study used a structured questionnaire to obtain responses from the study sample. Descriptive statistics such as mean and percentages were used to measure the demographic data while inferential statistics such as Pearson product moment correlation was used to analyse data in this study. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient (r) was employed to test the hypotheses. The study focused on graduate unemployed related to N-Power programme. This includes: N-Power Agro, N-Power Health and N-Power Teach. The results of the study indicated that there is a no significant relationship between the N-power scheme against the following variables, Employment generation, poverty alleviation and skill acquisition. The study also found that the major factors that are militating against the effectiveness of the N-Power programme includes; Job insecurity, non-payment of stipend to participants as at when due, bribery and corruption, poor monitoring. The study therefore recommends that the authorities concerned should expand the horizon of the programme to cover more unemployed graduates, turn the programme to tenure employment opportunities for the beneficiaries and provide grant to enterprising graduates to gainfully employ their latent skills.