By Sagiru Ado Abubakar.

The JOPIS Unit of the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has on 2^nd July, 2017 organized sensitization lecture on N-Power Program for graduates in Kano State. JOPIS stands for Job Placement Information Services. Is a scheme by CITAD to assist youth looking for employment and entrepreneurship opportunities by bringing information about job opportunities to them. The sensitization lecture was organized in order to soften some issues marred the 2016 N-Power application in Kano State. It could be recalled that both people and Kano State government expressed concern over the low number of youth selected to participate in the Federal Government’s N-Power program last year. People were complaining that despite the fact that Kano is the most populous state in the country, N-Power data shown that over 20,000 youth from Kano State applied for the program in 2016 but only 4, 966 were selected.

At the beginning of the sensitization lecture, Sagiru Ado Abubakar, Head of the JOPIS Unit said that       N-Power is a Federal Government Program designed to tackle youth unemployment in the country. The N-Power Program involves massive deployment of 500,000 trained graduates who will assist to improve the inadequacies in the public services in education, health and civic education. The program was initiated by Federal Government considering current high level of unemployment, harnessing Nigeria’s young demography through appropriate skill development efforts to provide an opportunity to achieve inclusion and productivity within the country. In 2016, 200,000 graduates have been deployed to different governmental institutions for public services. The 2017 N-Power Program focuses on the remaining 300,000 vacant positions. While addressing the participants on the criteria for N-Power application, Sagir said that, Graduate Category- the N-Power Volunteer Corps is the post-tertiary engagement initiative for Nigerians between 18 and 35. It is a paid volunteering program of 2-year duration. The graduates must possess any post-tertiary qualification including an Ordinary National Diploma (OND), Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) and any Degree qualification as may be specified by the program. The successful applicants will undertake their primary tasks in identified public services within their proximate communities. Finally, he said that an N-Power volunteer Corps comprises 4 key areas, namely, N-Power Agro, N-Power Health, N-Power Teach and N-Power Tax.

Kamal Garba Alasan, Assistant Head of the JOPIS Unit, demonstrated to the participants the N-Power registration portal. During the demonstration, Kamal displayed the following as prerequisite for the      N-Power registration. First Name as shown on the BVN record, Middle Name as Shown on the BVN record, Last Name as shown on the BVN record, Gender, Marital status, Email, Phone number, Date of birth, Nationality, State of Origin, Local government, Residential Address, State of residence, Local government of residence, Nationality, BVN, Bank Account Number, Bank name,            and physical disability if any.

Other requirements were educational history of the applicants which included qualification, last institution attended, discipline, NYSC, and computer skill. Lastly, the participants were given chance to register N-Power Program free of charge at the center.

By Ali Sabo:

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) conducted a research on Community Resilience in Boko Haram affected states between 2015-2016 with support from United State Institute for Peace (USIP). The purpose of the research was to investigate the factors that make communities vulnerable and more resilient to violent action carried out by the insurgents in the North-Eastern states and some part of North West and North Central states respectively, and to also examine the resilience mechanism of Jigawa State to Boko Haram attacks. And finally, the research seeks to draw lessons on how to deepen resilience and enhance community capacity to bounce back from trauma, destruction and damages caused by the insurgents. The study was also conducted within the context of a larger learning from peace theme whose goal was to find effective strategies to prevent mass violence in society.

Having undergone validation at different levels, the research has now been published as a book titled “Understanding Community Resilience in the Context of Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria”. To make it public and serve as a document that provides lessons to strong, weak and non affected communities, CITAD presents the book to the public at the presence of Journalists, academicians, Civil Society Organizations and Students. The launching took place on the 22nd of June, 2017 at the Board Room, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Federal University, Dutse.

The launching was facilitated by Ibrahim Mohammad Machina of the Federal University, Gashua who served as the presenter of the book, Malam Isah Garba, Senior Programme Officer (Peace) CITAD as the discussant and Dr. Dalhatu Yola as the chairman of the occasion. At the end of the programme questions were entertained from journalists and other participants at the event.