From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government has extended applications for jobs portal “www.npower.gov.ng” by one month, till end of August.
Applications are from unemployed Nigerians graduates and non-graduates alike.
The application process which commenced on June 12 was to close on Monday, July 25.
Thirty six hours after its launch on June 12, the Job Creation Unit in the Presidency had announced that it recorded over 400,000 successful registrations.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President Laolu Akande, said in a statement, the extention was to pull in more potentially qualified candidates and expand the opportunity base around and across the country.
He said the new deadline for the receipt of applications is now Wednesday, August 31, 2016.
According to him, the grace period was provided in order to keep its promise of empowering and uplifting young Nigerians by improving their livelihood and creating opportunities.
Akande said N-Power was one of the initiatives of the N500 billion President Muhammadu Buhari’s Social Investment Programme designed to empower young Nigerians with life-long skills to find or create work.
The programme is segmented into three: N-Power Teachers Corps Agriculture and Health related jobs; N-Power Knowledge for ICT and N-Power Build for building services and artisanal training
“N-Power is targeted at young Nigerians aged between 18 and 35 and is aimed at enlisting a total of 600,000 young Nigerians in phases, and under different sectors, in the largest capacity development and empowerment effort yet in the country.
“The Federal Government will continue to work with the State Governments through their respective focal persons on Social Investments to ensure that N-Power is diverse and inclusive.
“This extension presents an opportunity for persons who have not had the opportunity to apply to do so now. This will also allow those yet to complete the application process to ensure they see the process through as incomplete applications will not be processed”, he said.
Akande said that the Federal Government will publicise the selection criteria before the application process closes.
According to him, modalities relating to the enlistment process which was to commence yesterday will no longer hold due to the demand for extension by many Nigerians from across several states.
The Presidential Media aide noted that the Federal Government was committed to ensuring that through N-Power, young Nigerians will acquire the skills and knowledge to become the driving forces of Nigeria’s economic growth and social development.