The Minister of Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, disclosed this on Friday.
The Buhari administration established the NSIP to tackle poverty and hunger across the country through programmes such as the school feeding, N-Power, N-skills and the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme, amongst others.
The programmes are being implemented as part of the government’s efforts to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
Speaking at the commencement of training of master trainers for the N-Skills Programme on Friday, the minister said youths selected from each of the 36 States and FCT would be equipped with different skills.
She said 6,475 youths selected from the 36 States of the Federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would be trained on N-Skills across 36 States, FCT which is expected to meet the minimum technical and business requirements for certification by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and enhance their entrepreneurial competences.
Farouq, who was represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Nura Alkali, said: “We converge on this venue to empower our youths from different parts of the country. I am delighted to have you all here. It is a clear demonstration of your commitment to collectively address one of the development challenges Nigeria is grappling with.
“Since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2015, the Federal Government has paid more attention to promoting the plight of the poor and vulnerable in the country despite the economic slump the administration inherited,” Nigerian Tribune quoted the minister to have said at the event.
“This informed the decision to initiate the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) as a strategy for enhancing social inclusion. NSIP is one the largest social protection programmes in Africa with about $1 billion earmarked annually to cause positive change in the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable in the country.
“Since its introduction in 2016, the programme has impacted positively on the lives of the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria. I have personally witnessed the life-changing experiences of people who lived below the poverty line and those that are vulnerable to shocks.
“In furtherance to President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval for the restructuring of NSIP and in line with the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), we instituted processes to revamp the NSIP and to make it more impactful on the economy and citizens as we expand it.
“This led to the introduction of the N-Skills programme, which is based on a certification system and accreditation of training provided through the informal apprenticeship System anchored by Master Craft Persons (MCPs) and the formal training system using the Community Skills Development Centres (COSDECs).
“The programme aims to improve the quality and relevance of skills delivered using a certification system and to ease the transition of target beneficiaries to full-time skilled employment, self-employment and/or further their education. It targets marginalized and disadvantaged population, including those with primary or no-formal education.
“The N-Skills programme in line with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) for the development, classification and recognition of skills, knowledge and competencies acquired by individuals, irrespective of where and how the training or skill is acquired. It will help in bridging the gap in demand for standard and market-relevant skills.”
