Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, the Director-General (DG), National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has emphasized the need for the establishment of National Youth Service Trust Fund that would cater for the financial empowerment of all corps members after their service year
He also said this would help them to establish their vocational businesses with the skills they acquire from the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Programme in the course of service.
Ibrahim stated this on Thursday when he paid a courtesy visit to the former Head of State and founder of the NYSC Scheme, General Yakubu Gowon at his residence in Abuja.
Adenike Adeyemi, Director, Press and Public Relations in a statement quoted the DG to have said, “The establishment of the Trust Fund would also reduce the level of unemployment among the youths, while curbing the increasing rate of crime in the country.
He revealed that since 2012 when the NYSC Scheme introduced Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Department into its Orientation Course content, it has partnered with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry and other financial institutions in respect of offering credit facilities to Corps Members to establish their businesses.
He restated the need to expand the capacity of NYSC Orientation Camps to be able to accommodate the ever increasing Corps population; while also calling for a regular maintenance of the camp facilities.
He added that the funding will come from a certain percentage of profit accruing to some corporate bodies, adding that such funds can be used to expand NYSC Orientation Camps and renovate the camp facilities.”
“NYSC is critical to the Health and Education sectors of the economy, and our Corps Members serve as head teachers in some schools especially in the rural areas.The introduction of the Trust Fund will take a lot of financial burden off the State Governments”, the DG said.
