More than 753,307 graduates have already applied for the N-Power
recruitment in five days, exceeding the number of graduate and
non-graduate applicants in 2016 by 2307.
The information was made available by the Senior Special Assistant
to the President on Job creation, Mr. Afolabi Imoukhuede, when he
addressed newsmen in Asaba, Delta, on Sunday describing the figure as a
landmark.
He disclosed that the figure for 2017 was generated barely five days
after the application was opened on June 14, while the applications for
the previous year were got during the two and half months it was opened.
The SSA said that N-Teach got the highest applications so far with
470,456 while N-Agro, the Agriculture extension section of the scheme
followed with 127,315.
According to him, N-Health generated 85,691 applications, while the
latest component, the N-Tax, generated 69,842 applications in five days.
Imoukhuede said that in 2016 the total graduate applicants were
350,000 being less than 50 per cent of the applications already received
in less than one week of entries for 2017.
He said the reason for the large number of applications might be
because “a lot of graduates now have faith in the scheme unlike last
year when many were a bit skeptical and refused to apply.’’
He said that in spite of the number, the Federal Government would
restrict itself to the recruitment of 300,000 graduates in the current
scheme in order not to exceed the programme’s budget for the period.
Imoukhuede also said that the selection process would maintain same
transparency as in 2016 and expressed gratitude that the hiccup in 2016
registration was completely absent in 2017.
The 2017 applications, which opened on June 14 will last through July 13.