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By Job Osazuwa
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has again restated its commitment to the welfare of corps members, including the provision of an enabling environment to help them develop their potential, for national development.
NYSC’s director-general, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, stated this while launching an ultra-modern clinic in the NYSC Orientation Camp in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State.
He said the clinic was anchored on the need to ensure the well-being of all corps members, a key policy thrust of the scheme, as they were critical national assets that must be taken care of.
The DG implored the camp participants to effectively utilise the clinic, with maintenance of its facilities. He also directed that the clinic should provide medical services to the host community.
The construction of the clinic was initiated in 2018 by corps doctor Ijirotimi Gbenga, a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, but could not be completed due to paucity of funds. It was later taken over and completed by the NYSC Ondo State secretariat, with support from good-spirited individuals from lkareland.
Addressing the corps members, the DG charged them to embrace skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development programmes of the scheme that would make them become job creators, instead of trudging the streets of Nigeria in search scarce white-collar jobs.
He said: “Salary jobs are scarce to get nowadays and l urge you to key into the in-camp and post-camp training that would make you self-employed and wealth creators.
“Efforts are on-going to establish NYSC Trust Fund that will provide start-up capital for all corps members as you are exiting service so that you can establish your vocational business in line with the skills you acquire during the service year.”
Ibrahim added that many of their predecessors that embraced skill acquisition during their service year benefitted from grants to boost their businesses through the Central Bank of Nigeria, Access Bank, Heritage Bank, Bank of Industry and NYSC Foundation, among others.
Before leaving the camp the DG inaugurated the skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development centre, where he admonished the corps members to emulate their predecessors. While in the Ikare-Akoko camp, lbrahim also laid the foundation of the camp officials’ hostel.
NYSC Ondo State coordinator, Mrs. Nnenna Ani, informed the DG that the corps members were in high spirits and comporting themselves very well as they adjusted to the regimented lifein camp.
“They are disciplined and courteous, readily receiving instructions. Equally, both the NYSC and non-NYSC officials have been very much alert to the task of providing practical step-by-step training to the corps members so as to prepare them for their roles in nation-building,” Ani said.
