After conducting a youth transformation skill acquisition programme in 2022, the National Hydro Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) promised the participants a starter pack disbursement to kickstart their businesses.

The beneficiaries underwent a two-year delay, which spurred protests and a lot of lobbying. Many of them have started complaining that there was foul play in the disbursement process.

Some of the complaints FIJ received from the beneficiaries who preferred to stay anonymous included a claim that HYPPADEC shortchanged them for people who were not a part of the training in 2022. Some also complained that the materials they received were of substandard quality.

BACKGROUND

The HYPPADEC youth acquisition programme was conducted for 5,079 youths across six states where Nigeria’s hydroelectricity sources are located. The six states include Plateau, Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Benue and Niger.

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The initiative was headed by Abubakar Yelwa, the HYPPADEC’s managing director.

After waiting for two years, the beneficiaries said they staged protests at the commission’s office, but they were dispersed by security agents.

In September 2023, HYPPADEC told the waiting beneficiaries to liaise with HYPPADEC state coordinators in their respective states “to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to enable them not only get the starter packs but access grants and other opportunities from relevant organisations”.

FIJ initially reported about the beneficiaries’ ordeals in July. Four months later, HYPPADEC commenced the disbursements.

EXPIRED FISH FEEDS, INEFFICIENT LAPTOPS

The training the beneficiaries underwent included fisheries, ICT, printing, agriculture and several others.

A source, who was also a beneficiary of the programme, spoke to FIJ about how the disbursement had many inconsistencies. He told FIJ that the distribution flagged off in Minna, but what they got was different from what they were promised.

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“They called the Niger State Governor and some Emirs and showed them what they would give us. For computer appreciation trainees, they were supposed to give us a brand new computer and a printer. For those who did catering, they displayed gas cylinders and gas cookers. They showed us all of these in the presence of the Governor. The moment the Governor went out, they started shortchanging all these things,” the source said.

The source told FIJ that those who were trained in catering and were promised gas cookers, cylinders and cash between N1 million to N5 million each, only got spoons and spatulas.

“The laptop they gave us was an old laptop with no printers. Some of those who did fishery should get fish feeds as part of their startup materials, but they got the expired one,” he said.

“The supposed brand new laptop also did work for up to two hours before the battery shut down. Some who wore the uniforms were even not given anything.”

In another video sent to FIJ by another source who was also trained in ICT but only got an old laptop, Yelwa could be seen claiming that they had prepared laptops and printers for the beneficiaries.

“For computer appreciation, we have provided laptops and printers,” Yelwa said.

Some of the beneficiaries of the programmes also corroborated these foul play claims on social media.

“More grace HYPPADEC but immediately after the governor left the scheme, (the) printer was not given to the participants that learn(sic) computer again. They only give them laptops,” Muhammad Dokogi said.