The registration which commenced on the 26th of June 2020 was scheduled to end on the 26th of July but it was extended by two weeks.

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq in a statement on Tuesday, by the SA to the minister on Strategic Communication, Halima Oyelade said the online portal closed on Sunday 9th of August, 2020 with a total of 5,042,001 applications.

According to the federal government, 400,000 applicants will be absorbed upon conclusion of the enrollment exercise.

The Minister stated that women and persons with disability will be prioritized during the selection process.

She also re-assured Nigerians that due diligence will be applied during the next stage of selection to ensure that only duly qualified applicants are enrolled.

Farouq added that her Ministry will ensure that the applicants, as well as the general public, are kept fully informed on the progress of the scheme.

She also explained that the N-Power programme is aimed at providing Nigerian youths with opportunities to gain skills for employability and entrepreneurship which will also, go a long way in assisting the country towards the post-COVID-19 economic recovery.

The minister reiterated her Ministry’s commitment to the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari to lift 100 Hundred million Nigerians out of Poverty in the next l0 years.

According to her, the N-power programme is one of the platforms that can assist in the realization of that vision.

The online application process, which began on June 26, 2020, was scheduled to close on Sunday, July 26, 2020 and has now been extended August 8, 2020.

The Federal Government explained the extension will avail interested youths the opportunity to also register.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq in a series of tweets on Sunday night disclosed this.

She said over 5 million applicants have applied for the scheme, adding that this number of applications received indicates enthusiasm on the part of the applicants to be part of the programme.

Meanwhile, only 400,000 of the applicants will be absorbed at the end of the application exercise.

“One month after the portal opened for Batch C applications, we are happy to announce that we have received over 5m applications underlining enthusiasm for the programme.

“In a bid to extend the opportunity to all Nigerians and ensure it is truly inclusive, the portal will close at midnight on August 8th, 2020,” she tweeted.

The Minister also promised to review the demands made by the Batch A and B enrollees who will be exiting the programme by the end of this month.

The 500,00 enrolees, during a protest in Abuja last week, demanded N300billion payment.

They also requested the Federal Government to employ all of them as well as pay them a grant of N600, 000 each.

Farouq stated: “I received news of a protest at the National Assembly by N-Power Batch A and B beneficiaries who presented a list of demands which we are reviewing and will address as practically possible.

“Let me reiterate that the exiting of Batch A and B is not punitive but as a means of providing an opportunity for their brothers and sisters to also access the programme. Batch A and B beneficiaries remain our pride and worthy ambassadors.”

The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development commenced the enrollment process on June 26, 2020.

According to the ministry, over four million applications have been received, 16 days after the portal was opened for application.

This was revealed by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq on her Twitter page on Sunday night while giving on update on the recruitment

The tweet reads: “My team and I continue to interface with stakeholders to ensure a successful transition for the @npower_ng.

“It has been 16 days since the portal opened, and we have received 4.48 million applications to date.”

Only 400,000 applicants will be absorbed into the third batch of the N-Power National Social Investment Scheme (NSIP) at the end of the recruitment exercise.