Ministry Sets Up Focal Group For Youth Investment Fund

The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has set up a focal group on the newly-approved Nigeria Youth Investment Fund.

According to a statement released by the Media Office of the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development on Monday, the focal group is an assemblage of youth leaders and groups from diverse fields, entrepreneurial experts and individuals with youth development and finance experience.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how President Muhammadu Buhari approved the establishment of a N75 billion Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) for three years following a memo presented by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development.

In a statement, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, said, “The NYIF is to serve as a sort of Youth Bank that will fund and support the innovative ideas, skills, talents and enterprise of the Nigerian Youth.

“A loan and credit pathway dedicated to assessing credit and soft loans.This is the very first of its kind by any Nigerian government.”

The NYIF focal group is entrusted with processing concerned parties’ views and inputs about the Fund and making the same available to the NYIF’s Technical Committee. The group will also provide valuable feedback on expectations of the youth generally and deliberate on wide ranging issues around youth entrepreneurship and credit access.

The minister, Mr Dare, tasked the Focal Group to “provide useful insights around the challenges faced by youth entrepreneurs and youth with burning ideas and how best they think the fund can assist them. The Nigeria Youth Investment Fund is not just another programme of government. You have the responsibility of coming up with suggestions on how to make NYIF serve the needs of the youth and facilitate turning their ideas into viable businesses, helping them to expand existing businesses.”

The 23-member focal group is led by Oladipo Adebiyi with Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth & Advancement (YIAGA) as deputy team lead.

The membership of the group includes Thomas Enitan Eleoramo, Funds Manager/Investment Banker; Ife Adebayo, SA Innovation & Entrepreneurship Office of the Vice President; Fayo Williams, CEO, Simply Exponential Consult; Mr Abubakar Badre; Olisameka Onyeka; Yetunde Adeniji and Usman Bappa.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/408149-ministry-sets-up-focal-group-for-youth-investment-fund.html

NPower Volunteers Will Be Paid As Soon As FEC Approves Budget – NSIP Spokesperson

We will pay disengaged NPower Volunteers June, July outstanding stipends (backlog) as soon as FEC approve budget – NSIP Spokesperson (we have no reason holding your stipends, there is no fund available at the moment) which means that there is no money at hand to pay disengaged NPower volunteers, NPower volunteers have to wait, pending when the Federal Executive Council approve the fund presented to the minister as regards to stipends.

The spokesman assured all disengaged NPower volunteers, not to worry over the matter, as soon as FEC approves the budget presented to them, payment will be initiated.

“We have no reason holding your stipends, there is no fund available at the moment, as soon as the FEC approves the Budget we gave them, we will settle all affected NPower volunteers” Illia added.
When asked when will FEC approve the budget, she tactically dodged the questions, declined to tell the audience of the exact time the funds will be approved by the FEC, "we hope when next week comes, something will be said about it at FEC meeting" she disclosed.

NPower Stipend: NSIP Clears The Air

"NPower beneficiaries we have no reason holding your stipends, there is no fund available at the moment we are awaiting approval of fund from the Federal Executive Council" - National Social Investment Programme (NSIP)

As NPower Batch C Kicks Off

By Bilyaminu Gambo Kong-kol
SIR: Now that the federal government is set to absorb another 400,000 N-Power beneficiaries under Batch C of the N-Power programme, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, should ensure that all the pending entitlements of N-Power Batches A and B are paid and they are given opportunities and packages for safe landing.

Given the sheer number of those that have applied – over five million youths – from reports, I suggest that the minister make some changes. There is a need for free and fair screening of the applicants. Let there be justice and equity among the 774 local governments in the country. The ministry must also develop a new strategy for ensuring that the mistake of enrolling those already in gainful employment is not repeated in Batch C.


The federal government should see the large number of applicants as a challenge for it to venture into more in job creation and poverty eradication initiatives. The huge number of N-Power Batch C applicants indicates that the unemployment rate is on the increase, and if it is not tackled, insecurity would continue to be the order of the day.

https://thenationonlineng.net/as-n-power-batch-c-kicks-off/amp/?__twitter_impression=true