As the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) marks its 53rd anniversary of nation-building, the Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has appealed for public support for the approval of the NYSC Trust Fund, which would enable the Scheme to expand the scope of its Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme for Corps Members.
Caroline Embu, Director, Information and Public Relations, in a statement said the Director-General said the Trust Fund would assist the NYSC in expanding its venture services and increasing job creation by empowering Corps Members with start-up capital to establish their businesses.
The DG added that the NYSC Trust Fund would also curb youth restiveness by engaging young graduates in productive ventures that would reduce social vices and idleness.
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General Nafiu stated this during his appearance at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.
Speaking further, the Director-General said the NYSC has consistently fulfilled its mandate of promoting national unity, cohesion, and socio-economic development over the past 53 years since it was established by the administration of General Yakubu Gowon.
He added that the vision of the founding fathers of the Scheme to unite the country after the Civil War was laudable, noting that the NYSC has fostered national unity through inter-tribal marriages, cultural integration, the Corps deployment policy, among other benefits.
Nafiu also said many friendships and lasting relationships have been established through the deployment of Corps Members to states outside their states of origin.
He further stated that the influence of the Scheme in relation to national unity, cohesion, and socio-economic development cannot be underestimated.
The NYSC Chief Executive also said the Scheme has evolved through various improvements driven by technological innovations, including electronic identity cards for Corps Members, digital record-keeping, camp registration, and information dissemination through social media, among others.
He explained that the objective of SAED was to strengthen the informal sector of the economy through Corps Members.
In his words, “SAED started in 2012 and has continued to evolve, with the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University.”
“More than 500,000 Corps Members have registered their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)”.
General Nafiu disclosed Management’s resolve to continue ensuring seamless online registration for all Corps Members.
He added that accommodation facilities at orientation camps remain a major factor in determining the number of Corps Members deployed to each camp.
The Director-General said state governments are, by the NYSC Act, expected to provide conducive orientation camps for use by the NYSC and also maintain the facilities for the training of Corps Members.
He revealed that Enugu and Osun States are currently renovating their orientation camps, while Lagos State is constructing a new orientation camp for the comfort of Corps Members deployed to serve in the state.
“It is the responsibility of state governments to provide operational vehicles for State Coordinators and subventions during camps, while Local Government Chairmen are expected to provide Corps lodges,” the DG said.
General Nafiu also stated that he has engaged several stakeholders at all levels to fulfill their obligations to the Scheme.
He appealed to Student Affairs Officers in Corps-producing institutions to forward the names of qualified graduates to the Scheme on time in order to avoid delays in mobilization.
He further disclosed that the Nigeria Education Repository Databank (NERD) is a Federal Government policy designed to keep records of Nigerian graduates, adding that the NYSC is ready to comply with the government’s directive.
The DG advised Corps Members to adhere strictly to the Scheme’s security measures and travel advisories, including avoiding night journeys, lone movements, and risky adventures.
He said the NYSC has partnered with security agencies to provide Corps Members with protection while travelling to orientation camps.
The NYSC helmsman added that all Corps Members are covered by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) health package, which provides free medical treatment during their service year.
Nafiu stated that NYSC ventures such as farms, bread and water factories, garment factories, and other enterprise initiatives where Corps Members acquire vocational skills also serve as sources of internally generated revenue for the Scheme.
“The Scheme is trying to inculcate the culture of savings in Corps Members through multiple streams of income,”.
“Entrepreneurship development enables them to develop themselves and also train others to acquire new skills towards self-employment”, General Nafiu said.
The DG added that the NYSC has continued sensitizing Corps Members on the responsible use of social media by encouraging positive content that would not bring them into conflict with the law.
