Impact of N-Power programme on the socio-economic status of youth in Anambra State

Abstract

Unemployment and low socio-economic status among the young people is another big issue in Nigeria especially youths who form the majority of the population. To solve this issue, the Federal Government developed the N-Power programme under the National Social Investment Programme to offer job opportunities, skill development, and socio-economic wellbeing of young people. Although the programme was put in place, there are still questions about whether it has alleviated the socio-economic status of the beneficiaries. The research design used in this study was a descriptive survey design to investigate how N-Power programme influences the socio-economic status of youth in Anambra State, Nigeria. Two thousand four hundred and fifteen beneficiaries (18 to 35 years) in 6 Local Government Areas were sampled. A sample of 343 respondents was calculated using the formula by Taro Yamane and purposive sampling was used to select the sample. Data were collected using structured questionnaires with a 5-point Likert scale and secondary data were obtained with the help of the other literature. Experts reviewed it and tested it again, which ensured validity and reliability. The SPSS version 20 and Pearson correlation at the 5% level were used to analyze data. Results revealed that the majority of the respondents said that N-Power enhanced purchasing power, income, savings, and educational progress, but many disented that it enhanced wealth accumulation. Correlation analysis demonstrated a positive and significant relationship (r =.222, p=.035) which showed that N-Power had a significant effect on improving the socio-economic status of youths. The paper concludes that the N-Power programme has made a great difference in the socio-economic situation of young people in Anambra State.