The Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande on Sunday, says the Federal Government would employ additional 350,000 unemployed graduates under the N-Power Volunteer Corps, in 2017.
Akande disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has requested appropriation of N157.75bn in the 2017 budget estimates for the N-Power scheme.
“350,000 unemployed graduates more would be hired and trained, alongside 50,000 non-graduates youths to be engaged as artisans and in other creative ventures,” Akande said.
He explained further 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 expect more this year especially in the area of implementation as virtually all of the SIPs are now undergoing different stages of implementation.
“While we were able to engage 200,000 unemployed graduates last year, we will do 350,000 more this year,” he said.
