Nigeria, August 18, 2016 -Not less than 3,000 youths have been registered at the 10 N-power Registration Centres in Bauchi.
The centres were set up few months back by Governor Muhammed Abubakar to facilitate free and easy registration of youths.
Conducting journalists round some of the centres, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and NGO, Mr. Yakubu Adamu led journalists on the visit.
GIWO ACADEMY CENTRE
At the first centre visited in Bauchi town, young people can be seen doing the N-power registration. The Centre Coordinator, Saraju Abdullahi told reporters that the response has been massive, as the centre is at the heart of town. He said over 3,000 youths have been registered at the centre. The major challenge he faced was that some recipients do not have their BVN when they come to register.
ATBU CENTRE
The Team was received by the Deputy Director ICT, Abdulkadir Matudanlami. He expressed similar challenge of participants not having BVNs and email addresses. However, he said that over 700 youths have been successfully registered at the centre. He also urged others to take advantage of the free registration centres set up by the Bauchi government.
ABUBAKAR TATARI ALI POLYTECHNIC CENTRE
The Assistant Coordinator of the centre, MallamUsaini Dan Azumi told Journalists that they had the required infrastructure to register youths free, however they had to print a form labelled FREE to encourage young people to take advantage and register. So far, the centre has successfully registered over 600 youths.
BENEFICIARIES THANK THE GOVERNOR
Speaking to the press the beneficiaries met at the various registration centres expressed their gratitude to the state governor for making available free registration points to enable them take advantage of the N-power scheme.
Binta Daniel, a beneficiary at the ATBU centre told newsmen that she came to register because the queue was less, and the centre offers technical support for the registration process. Another beneficiary, Ibrahim Mohammed lauded the governor and urged other youths to take advantage and register.
CONCLUSION
Speaking to journalists after the tour, the S.A to the governor on NGOs said that Bauchi is the only state in the federation that opened centres to offer free registration and technical support to youths who want to register for the N-power programme.
He said that the state government set up 10 centres across the states touching Bauchi, Ningi, Toro, Kagawu Campus, Azare, Misau among others. He said the NorthEast is one of the poorest zones and as such programme like these can tackle unemployment, eradicate poverty and boost entrepreneurship. He urged the youths in the state to take advantage of the free registration centres noting that the portal closes at the end of the month.
Speaking on behalf of the Governor, the S.A Communications told the press that the government is delighted by the rate of acceptance and registration of the N-power programme by youths in the state. He advised those yet to register to do so and acquire skills to be economically independent.
The Deputy Director National Orientation Agency, Bauchi finally told newsmen that they embarked on serious sensitization campaign across the state to ensure every youth heard about the N-power programme and take advantage of the free registration centres provided by the state government.
