Abstract
An economy where a significant number of working-age
individuals are unemployed calls for youth restiveness, consequently
endangering development. In Nigeria, 40.1 percent of the total population were
classified as poor, according to the National Bureau of Statistics in 2019. In
other words, on average, 4 out of 10 individuals in Nigeria have real per
capita expenditures below 137,430 Naira per year. This translates to over 82.9
million Nigerians who are considered poor by national standards. This is why addressing
the issue of employment generation becomes very vital in Nigeria. This study
aimed to assess the effect of the N-Power scheme on youth unemployment in the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, focusing on the local areas of Abaji,
Kuje, and Kwali. The population of the study comprised twenty-three thousand,
eight hundred, and seventy (23,870) N-power beneficiaries, with a sample size
of 377 participants determined using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) formula.
Questionnaire was used for data collection, and a simple random sampling method
was employed to select the participants. Multiple regression was used to test
the hypotheses. The N-Power scheme components considered in this study were
N-Teach and N-Build. The research utilized Empowerment Theory as its underlying
framework. The results of the study indicated that all the two hypotheses
tested showed positive and significant correlations with youth unemployment in
FCT Abuja. The N-Power scheme, encompassing N-Teach and N-Build, demonstrated
the potential to positively impact youth unemployment rates in the region.
Based on the findings, this study recommends that present and future
administrations prioritize and encourage the implementation of youth
empowerment programs, such as N-Power, as effective tools to address youth
restiveness and unemployment. The program's success in promoting skills
development, job placements, and entrepreneurial opportunities can play a
crucial role in reducing youth unemployment and fostering socio-economic growth
in FCT Abuja and beyond.
Keywords: N-Teach, N-Build, N-Power, Unemployment, Youth
author/A. Adeyanju, Prof. A. Anyebe & Prof. H. Yerima
journal/FUJPAM Vol. 2, No. 1
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