The Director-General of National Youth Service Corps NYSC,Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim has called on stakeholders and higher authorities, including well meaning Nigerians to give maximum support for the actualization of NYSC Trust Fund.
Ibrahim stated this today 25th October, 2021 in his welcome address at the Symposium on the Imperative of the proposed National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund (NYSCTF) organised by the scheme in Abuja.
The. Director-General explained that the essence of the symposium was to engender greater appreciation of the imperative of an NYSC Trust Fund and also to generate ideas that will facilitate its actualization as well as the realization of the set objectives.
“Like I have said on few occasions, the idea of NYSC Trust Fund came up while we were deepening the search for ways of addressing challenges faced by the scheme. I am confident that this symposium will result in further support for the proposal by all stakeholders” NYSC DG said.
Brig General Ibrahim maintained that over the years ,the exponential rise in corps population has brought with it the demand for commensurable allocation of resources. While government at all level have demonstrated commitment to the discharge of their statutory obligations to the scheme.
” As a consequence,the scheme contends with problems militating against its smooth operations especially in the area of provision of Start-up capital for corps members trained during the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme(SAED),Inadequate Orientation camp facilities, inadequate accommodation for corps members, non release of state subvention by some state government and dwindling support for the Community Development Service “NYSC DG stated.
Ibrahim said when operational,the NYSC Trust Fund will help addressing structural and other logistics needs for the smooth conduct of orientation courses ,provision Corps Lodges,Corps Transit camp and other essential facilities,including staff training for higher productivity among others.
The DG used the occasion to appeal to all stakeholders , including higher authorities,for support towards actualising the Trust fund.
While declaring open the Symposium, the FCT Minister, Mall Muhammad Musa Bello who was represented by Director,Youth ,Social Development Secretariat,Mrs.Asàbe Umar,commended the NYSC DG for given FCT opportunity to host the symposium.The Minster also seized the opportunity to congratulate the NYSC Director General for the conferment of the 2020 Public Service Award by the Sun Newspaper.
“I have been informed that this symposium is organized by the academics who have had close interactions with the NYSC as a way of lending their support towards the establishment of a Trust Fund for the scheme “the Minister stated.
The Minister said the symposium was organized to provide an avenue to dissent and take a critical look into the concept of Trust Fund proposed by NYSC, with a view to come up with an enriched, an acceptable document that will culminate into the establishment of the Trust Fund.
“The NYSC is one of the most cherished national institutions bequeath to our nation to foster unity, integrity and national development over the years after the unfortunate Civil War.
“However, the revatilization of the objectives of establishing the scheme, have been hampered by the challenges, such as funding, provision of infrastructure. And lately, setting of capital for Corps members, trained through the NYSC skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development program. I therefore wish to commend the management of the NYSC for raising to the occasion to address the challenges confronting”.
“The aims of this scheme to the proposed NYSC Trust Fund could not have come at a better time than now, only to the fact that the NYSC has capacity to drive Nigeria’s economy recovery process, especially to the empowerment of his teeming youth”. Mall Mohammad added.
The Minister therefore called on the resource persons and discussants at the symposium to deploy their intellectual acumen and come up with pragmatic steps needed for the establishment of the Trust Fund.
In a goodwill message, the Chairman, NYSC Governing Board,Amb.Fatima Balla Abubakar urged stakeholders to key into the vision of establishing the NYSC Trust Fund.
“I want to appeal to well meaning Nigerians ,including you people in the media to support this noble proposal, because we are hoping that you would also help spread the information around so that more people can support it. If everybody supports the Trust Fund that is when we can really have it actualized”Hajiya Abubakar stated.
While delivering his goodwill message, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development,Mr.Sunday Dare who was represented by Assistant Director,Youth Rights and Leadership ,Mr Despan Kwarben said NYSC has continuously lived up to the dreams and aspirations of its founding fathers.
“This is evidenced by the numerous achievements, it has recorded in the last 48 years, the attainment of these landmark achievements, though, has not come without challenges. And over the years, the NYSC has grappled with these challenges, which seem to hamper its operations.
“This made it necessery to fashion ways for sustaining the scheme to contribute more to the development of the nations. Therefore, the proposal for the establishment of NYSC Trust Fund is a step in the right direction. If established, it is expected to bridge the financial deficit of the scheme, and empower all corps members for self reliance, by providing startup capitals to set up their businesses on the skills acquired during service. This will further support the funding for existing NYC ventures and address the infrastructure gaps among others” Dare maintained.
The Minster further commended the NYSC management for organizing the symposium, which he said aimed at contributing participants knowledge, experience towards actualization of the Trust Fund.
” The symposium is indeed the required platform that will fashion our concrete operational framework, which will serve as a guide to the scheme in its engagement with relevant stakeholders for the actualization of the NYSC trust fund.
“I also wish to express my belief that presentations and discussions will be coordinated by our seasoned intellectuals, and it will enrich it will be rich enough to provide the needed guidance for the establishment of the trust fund” Dare said.
Sunday Dare added that federal government was aware that the NYSC remained integrally relevant and central to the country’s quest for unity and overall development.
He therefore restated FG continued support to the NYSC at all times in other reposition it to enable the scheme to function optimally and become a leading light of youth organizations in Africa.
There were also message from the Ona Of Abaji,Alh.Yunusa Adamu and
Chairman House Committee on Youths,Hon Yemi Adaramodu.
