FG targets 70m youths as NSIPs reform begins

Federal Government has unveiled plans to empower over 70 million youths through the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIPs) in a bid to reduce the current youth unemployment which stands at over 20 per cent.

The resolution was passed in Abuja during the inter-ministerial dialogue held at the instance of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq on the proposed reform of the NSIPs initiated by the present administration.

Tribune Online reports that rising from the meeting which was attended by the Minister Agriculture, Mr Sabo Nanono; Minister of State Budget and Planning, Mr Clem Agba; Minister of Health, Dr ‎Osagie Ehanire; Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen and Minister of State Education, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba, the forum resolved to convene a technical working group that will help to synergise and operationalise the inter-ministerial efforts.

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In her remarks, Sadiya Umar Farouq who detailed the history of the National Social Investment Programmes especially the N-Power before observed that “the Ministry has undertaken a review and re-appraisal of the programme in order to strengthen the program design and streamline for efficiency.”

Part of the reforms and streamlining will see a reduction in tenure from the current 24 months, the launch of the Integrated National Social Investment Programme (I-NSIP) which is intended to reposition N-SIP to cater to vulnerable groups in society by providing them access to shock responsive interventions, life skills and mentorship in order to systematically lift people out of poverty.

Others include: enrolling more women on the program to empower them so that they can earn an income and be more self-sufficient while privileging N-Teach, N-Health and N-Agro as areas of key priority attention.

At the close of the session, the Ministers resolved that attention should be paid to helping our youth convert knowledge into skills while providing opportunities for them to digitalise and organise markets and to achieve this they all agreed that emphasis should not be on starting new structures but building on existing ones – from the National Directorate of Employment to Digital Literacy and Skills Acquisition programme (DEEL) as well as the Work Experience Programme (WEP) of the Ministry of Youth & Sports Development.