Federal government set to create 350,000 job opportunities for graduates in 2017

The Federal Government is set to employ additional 350,000 unemployed graduates in 2017 under the N-Power Volunteer Corps, a component of the government’s Social Investment Programmes.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.Punch reports that Akande said President Muhammadu Buhari has requested appropriation of N157.75bn in the 2017 budget estimates for the N-Power scheme.Federal government set to create 350,000 job opportunities for graduates in 2017Akande said:“350,000 unemployed graduates more would be hired and trained, alongside 50,000 non-graduatesyouths to be engaged as artisans and in other creative ventures.

Akande said that under the N157.75bn also, a sum of N4.5bn has been earmarked for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programme to support young Nigerians in building skills in those disciplines.

Akande noted that the SIP budget proposals for 2017 are currently being discussed this week at the National Assembly and urged Nigerians to expectmore this year especially in the area of implementation as virtually all of the SIPs are now undergoing different stages of implementation.He said:
        “While we were able to engage 200,000 unemployed graduates last year, we will do 350,000 more this year.

Akande also disclosed that about N75bnhas been allocated for the National Homegrown School Feeding Programmein the 2017 Budget.He added that N112.2bn has been allocated to the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme aimed at providing interest-free loans to up to 1.2million market men and women, traders, artisans, youths and farmers.Meanwhile, about 5,000 participants in the federal government social intervention scheme N-Power received their first salaries.The salaries were paid directly to the bank accounts of the participants on Thursday, February 16.