National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) has paid out a total sum of N13.3 billion to 15, 246 beneficiaries of the national youth empowerment programme called N-Power in Kwara state.

While speaking with newsmen in Ilorin on Wednesday, the state focal person of the programme, Hajia Bashirah Abdulrazaq, said that batch A beneficiaries of the programme were engaged for a period of 42 months and were paid a total sum of N7.4 billion.

The NSIP focal person, who said that batch B beneficiaries spent about 24 months, added that they were paid a total sum of N5.7 billion adding that “non-graduates received the sum of N10,000 every month and were engaged for a period of 24 months with a total sum of over N24 million spent.”

She mentioned that the Kwara state government has recreated the youth empowerment programme in the state, codenamed K-Power, in order enable beneficiaries find favour in the labour market after exiting N-Power.

Hajia Abdulrazaq, who noted that about 10,000 people benefitted from “trader moni” programme in the state with over N1.3 billion disbursed to them, however grieved over the people who were not willing to repay the loan.

She said, “Poor masses are not ready to repay the loan after collection because of the attitude of Nigerian to anything from the government thinking it is national cake. Also, those that disbursed the money do not have records of beneficiaries like phone numbers and addresses. Thus, making it difficult to track them for repayment.

“The programme is designed to provide soft loans to boost small scale businesses in the markets which Vice President Yemi Osinbajo flagged off sometime last year to support women with N10,000 as soft loans to be paid back and then enjoy the next stage of N50,000.

“Unfortunately, many beneficiaries didn’t pay back or the channel for payment was not identified, therefore, beneficiaries could not fulfill their pledges. Though, the component is going through restructuring to seeing it achieves its objectives.”

The state’s focal person added that the state government has replicated NSIP scheme in the state, tagged Kwara state Social investment programme, (KWASSIP), and “in view of that, governor Abdulrazaq keyed into the programme by establishing the following, owo arugbo- stipend for the aged, owo isowo- soft loans to petty traders, ounje ofe -homegrown free feeding programme for public primary school pupils and K-Power for the unskilled youth.”