The Federal Government has announced its plans to embark on a comprehensive review, restructuring and reform of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in a bid to meet up with the demands of the future.
The Minister of Youth Development, Dr Jamila Ibrahim made this announcement at the opening ceremony of the maiden meeting of NYSC management with heads of corps-producing institutions in Nigeria, held at the National Judicial Institute in Abuja, on Monday.
According to the Minister, over 5000 corps members will have their entrepreneurial ventures funded with up to N10 million.
He explained, “Permit me to inform us very briefly on what is to come regarding NYSC reforms. I’m pleased to announce that I will be inaugurating a team to undertake the review, restructuring and reforms of the NYSC. The first of these reforms will be centred on reviewing participants with an entrepreneurship mindset and making skills development a core of the programme.”
He further explained that they envisioned a future where the NYSC programmes are not only self-sustained but also a revenue-generating programme within the next five years. To achieve this and would institutionalise the NYSC ventures as an investment and asset management outfit.
On his part, the Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, while welcoming the heads of corps-producing institutions, said the meeting is aimed at enhancing the mobilisation process of prospective corps members.
Ahmed said the meeting, which is a follow-up to a previous one with heads of corps-producing institutions in West African countries, aims to evolve strategies for eliminating identified flaws and ensuring a more seamless mobilisation process.
“We have identified some obstacles, including the delegation of roles to subordinates, and we believe that the direct involvement of chief executives of institutions will promote a deeper appreciation of issues and ensure desired results,” Ahmed added.
He also reaffirmed the NYSC’s commitment to the security and general welfare of corps members, appealing to corps-producing institutions, parents, and the general public to complement efforts in sensitising young graduates on call-up for national service.
“We urge you to use all available avenues to complement our efforts in sensitising young graduates on call-up for national service to avoid travelling at night when reporting to their states of deployment,” Ahmed said.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, in his address, welcomed the participants to Abuja and commended the NYSC management for choosing the city as the venue for the meeting.
Wike who was represented by the Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs Secretariat, FCT Administration, Mrs Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi said, “NYSC has consistently symbolised our collective commitment to national development, unity, and integration. We must adopt innovative strategies to surmount challenges and enhance best practices for the engagement of our young graduates in national development efforts.”
He praised the NYSC’s efforts to enhance its operations through technology-driven approaches and urged the participants to actively contribute to the meeting’s success.