Abstract:

The persistent challenge of unemployment in Nigeria has necessitated various social intervention strategies, amongst which the N-Power Programme stands as a prominent initiative. This study assessed the impact of the N-Power Programme on job creation in Benue State. Grounded in structural functionalism, the research employed a survey design and a mixed-methods approach in the study. Data were collected via questionnaire from 384 and 12 key informant interviews respondents across Katsina-Ala, Makurdi, and Otukpo Local Government Areas. Findings indicated that while N-Power achieved transparency in recruitment and temporarily addressed manpower shortages in health, education, and agriculture, these successes were undermined by systemic flaws. Critical issues included chronic financial instability due to delayed stipends and a significant lack of oversight, with only one monitoring visit recorded over two years. Although the programme enhanced youth empowerment, it functioned as a temporary social safety net rather than a sustainable engine for job creation. Ultimately, the absence of a robust exit strategy hindered the transition of beneficiaries into permanent employment, leaving the long-term impact on youth unemployment negligible. The study concludes that the programme's current structure is unsustainable for permanent economic empowerment hence the cessation of the programme in Benue State. It recommends that future social investment initiatives adopt decentralised, automated financial systems and independent monitoring frameworks. Furthermore, the study recommends for legislative protection of such schemes through a Social Intervention Programme, ACT. This would ensure loop fenced funding for exit strategies, such as micro-grants and private-sector subsidies, to transform temporary relief into durable economic stability for the youth of Benue State.