Director general, National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim on Monday expressed concern over what he called the dilapidated state of facilities in many orientation camps across the country, Leadership reports.
Ibrahim stated this in Abuja on Monday during the 2022 batch ‘A’ pre-orientation workshop with the theme “Repositioning The Critical Components Of The Orientation Course Content To Address Prevailing Challenges.”
He said despite daunting challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and peculiarities of the operating environment, the Scheme has been able to conduct Orientation exercises successfully.
“Like we have pointed out on previous occasions, among the challenges faced by the Scheme are inadequate facilities in some of our Orientation Camps, inadequate training materials for our Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme as well as the limited funding opportunities for the SAED trainees to actualize their business plans. This partly informed our sustained advocacy for the establishment of the NYSC Trust Fund,” he said.
He also said it is gratifying to note that consideration of the Bill for the Trust Fund is progressing steadily having passed second reading at the House of Representatives and a public hearing on it fixed for 24” February, 2022.
“When established, it will help address infrastructural deficit in our Orientation Camps, ensure adequate provision of other operational logistics as well as address the problem of graduate unemployment by making our skill and entrepreneurship training programme more functional.
“Already, a number of ex-trainees of the SAED programme have established flourishing businesses in several states across the country and have either employed or trained many youths of the host communities.”
Also speaking, the Hon Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammed Musa Bello commended the management of the NYSC under the able leadership of Ibrahim for the pragmatic leadership style and administrative prowess in running the affairs of this noble scheme.
Represented by the secretary of Solid Development Secretariat, Hadiza Muhammed Kabiru, the minister said, “We in the FCT commend various innovations and positive turn around that has been witnessed so far. The FCT Administration shall not relent at providing the necessary support to the NYSC at all times especially as it relates to the security and welfare of our dear corps members.
“I urge all the participants of this workshop to take advantage of this forum and make useful and workable contributions during the proceedings.”
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