By Fatima Mukhtar Isah
There was tension around the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Wednesday as reports emerged of a protest by N-Power beneficiaries demanding the payment of outstanding stipends and the protection of their rights.
The protest, which was widely circulated on social media ahead of time, was reportedly led by activist Bello Galadanci, popularly known as Dan Bello, alongside other coordinators. The demonstrators were said to have gathered to express frustration over months of unpaid allowances and what they described as the government’s silence on their plight.
Videos and posts shared online showed groups of beneficiaries converging around the National Assembly area, chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards calling on the Federal Government to honour its commitments to the N-Power programme. The initiative was designed to support unemployed youths across the country, but many beneficiaries have complained of prolonged neglect.
Although there has been no official statement yet from security agencies or the National Assembly confirming the scale and outcome of the protest, organisers maintained that the action was peaceful and aimed at drawing national attention to the hardship faced by beneficiaries.
Some of the protesters accused authorities of abandoning the programme, noting that many participants rely solely on the stipends to survive amid the rising cost of living.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs nor N-Power management had issued a formal response to the protest or addressed the demands raised by the beneficiaries.
The situation continues to generate reactions online, with many Nigerians calling on the government to urgently resolve the lingering issues surrounding the N-Power scheme to prevent further unrest.
