A Nigerian, Gbenga Daniel, who observed keenly the various categories of the Npower programme and the impacts on the participating volunteers especially after the programme, has shared why he would choose the Non-graduate Trainee Category over Graduate Category even as a University Graduate.
He started "the Npower Programme has graduate and non-Graduate category. The graduate category include the N-health, N-teach and N-agro.
"N-Agro as one of the Graduate Categories currently has non-graduate participants due to high importance of agriculture in national development. These crop of participants asides low pay of N10,000, would recieve the same end treatment as the Graduate Category.
"Taking on the main non-Graduate (Trainee) categories - N-Knowledge: N-Tech Software, Hardware, N-Creative; and N-Build, here I will choose over and over again instead of the Graduate Categories.
"Here is why!
"The graduate Npower programme focuses on payment of N30,000 than skills whereas the non-Graduate category focuses on skills than the money.
"The question is, what is N30,000 to a graduate especially in this present economy where a cup of beans is N200 and a jumbo ice fish, N1,200.
"In thesame N30,000 as a graduate, you will be expected to dress neat when ordinary plain trouser costs N5,500 and keke ride from pole to pole is N100.
"You will still be monitored and expected to go to your PPA everyday. Let's not talk about having a girlfriend cos only local girls will manage you with N30,000 Stipend.
"The graduate category Npower beneficiaries live on nothing while feeling like something, only smilling real when N30,000 drops, a week after, continue to live in the hope of another N30,000. Before you know it, a year is gone.
"Sorry to hurt anybody, the Graduate Npower Programme has no future for any of the participants. They promise transition programme which has never been granted to any batch".
"The story of batch A and B transition programme (NEXIT, NEXIT Loan, CBN Loan or whatever) are more like the aftermath of a political campaign.
"The batch C Npower beneficiaries may envy batch A and B that they enjoyed many years in the programme forgetting that thousands of the previous Npower beneficiaries are back in the job market after termination of their programmes.
"You may have heard that about 109,000 ex beneficiaries established businesses with savings from their N30,000 Stipends and are doing well. Please spear me the politics! Who dey breath?
"Assuming it's even true, has any of the Batch C Npower beneficiaries asked yourselves, if it took 109,000 beneficiaries out of 500,000 beneficiaries 2-4 years to save and establish businesses with N30,000 Stipend, how many out of the N510,000 batch C stream 1 Npower beneficiaries will establish businesses in the Batch C 1 year tenure.
"But on the contrary, the non-Graduate category of Npower presents more future to the participants as skills is the bedrock of self reliance and financial freedom.
"Everyone has the ability of being multi-skilled. Your money can be stolen but with your skills, you make more money.
"Taking on the N-Tech hardware/software or N-Creative for instance, there is opportunity of being trained in-house for 3 months on Website Development, App Development, 3 D animation and many needed digital skills in the world.
"After that, you move into the on-the-job training where your put all learnt into practice and acquire practical experience for 6 month.
"While in the Training Camp for 3 months, each participant is granted N30,000 allowance except for participants from other States who recieve N40,000.
"While still in the place of assignment, each participant is paid N10,000 monthly Stipend.
"Every of the participants is entitled to tools that will enhance his/her training such as a Laptop worth more than N100,000.
"When a tool is left in the hands of one who knows how to use it, wonders are made but when a tool lands in the hands of one who doesn't know how to use it, it will end as seeds casted on stones.
"That was the case of many batch A and B graduate Npower beneficiaries. They were gifted powerful Tablets but many lacked the knowledge of what it could be used for. They sold it for money but go to Cyber Cafe to apply for jobs.
"If I have opportunity of being an Npower beneficiary again, I will chose non-Graduate trainee category even as a University graduate".
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