ABSTRACT

This study focused on the effects of N-Power programmes on youth empowerment in South East Nigeria. The specific objectives are to: evaluate the effects of entrepreneurial and technical skills development programmes of N-Power on youths’ economic empowerment in South East Nigeria and ascertain the effects of transferability and employability programmes of N-Power on youths’ social empowerment in South East Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design. The population of the study consisted of N-Power beneficiaries from Abia State, Imo States, Anambra State, Enugu States and Ebonyi State. Primary and secondary sources of data were used. The study adopted purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Content validity and Cronbach Alpha reliability technique were adopted. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the study objectives while Multiple Regression analysis were used to test the hypotheses. Findings revealed that: At 1% level (Sig < .01) of significance entrerpreneurial and technical skills development programmes of N-Power have a significant effects on youths’ economic empowerment in South East Nigeria. At 1% level (Sig < .01) of significance transferability and employability programmes of N-Power have a significant effects on youths’ social empowerment in South East Nigeria. The study concluded that N-Power programmes have a significant effect on youth empowerment in South East Nigeria. However, the study recommended that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Social Development and Disaster Management and other N-Power programme facilitators need to sustain the entrepreneurial and technical skills development programmes of N-Power as it is affecting youths’ economic empowerment positively. However, the ministry need to ensure that the agencies in charge of training beneficiaries in software and hardware skills are proficient and capable of inculcating these skills to the participants. Beneficiaries need to be provided with grants by government for business development in the areas of their proficiency to ensure that the skills they learnt does not end at the expiration of their engagement with federal government.