The Director General of National Youth Service Corps NYSC, Brigadier General Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed has said the Scheme is poised to empower Corps members for wealth creation with the support of relevant stakeholders.
Ahmed who disclosed this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between NYSC and Nasarawa State University, Keffi, on the training of Corps Members by entrepreneurship professionals from the institution.
The DG said the challenges of unemployment has called for collaboration with the Scheme to encourage youths for self reliance and entrepreneurship.
General Ahmed while speaking through the Director, Planning Research and Statistics, Alhaji Ahmed Wada Ikaka said this would curtail youth restiveness and other forms of criminal tendencies.
“Our decision to go into this partnership is to enable us optimize the benefits of NYSC SAED Centre in Keffi with the help of professional entrepreneurship trainers of the university”, the DG said.
According to the statement released by the Scheme, General Ahmed added that the partnership would also enable the Scheme in training Members of the host community from the NYSC SAED Centre.
The DG urged Corps Members and other youths to embrace the opportunity of the ultra-modern equipment at the Centre to empower themselves for financial independent.
The Director, Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) in NYSC, Mrs Ngozi Nwatarali disclosed that one of the cardinal objectives of the NYSC is to encourage Corps Members acquire skills that will enable them become self-reliant and self employed for economic growth.
She added that NYSC graduate youths are not only adequately sensitized and given entrepreneurship and skills training, the Scheme facilitates start-up funds for their businesses through several financial partners as well as the provision of business mentorship until their businesses becomes successful.
“We have recorded 37,248 established businesses by Ex-Corps Members which has multiplying effects in providing employment opportunities for the youths, creating wealth and taking the youths off the streets and far away from crime”, she stated.
The Vice-Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Keffi Professor Suleiman Bala Mohammad, who was represented by the Deputy Vice -Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Saadatu Hassan Liman said entrepreneurship is a source of wealth creation for every nation.
He described entrepreneurs as national assets towards economic growth for every nation which must be assisted.
The VC commended NYSC for empowering Corps Members with vocational skills during the service year.
“The training of Corps Members on Skills Acquisition is a tremendous achievement that the NYSC should work hard to sustain. I assure you of our utmost dedication to the cause of this collaboration”, the VC said.
