Jamila Bio-Ibrahim, the minister of youth, has pushed for more support from stakeholders for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
She said that the program has to be strengthened in order to build on its remarkable successes in areas like youth empowerment, national cohesion and unity, rural development, and educational advancement, among others.
This was said by the minister on Wednesday during her speech at the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, where she had made a courtesy visit.
In order to accomplish the goals of the program, Bio-Ibrahim committed to collaborating with the NYSC management.
“I have been a staunch supporter of the NYSC, and now is the time for the program to be implemented across the nation.
I hope the program continues, and we will collaborate with you for the sake of Nigerian youngsters, she remarked.
The minister was congratulated on her appointment earlier by Brigadier General YD Ahmed, the NYSC Director-General.
He said that the program’s vital contributions to national cohesion and the socioeconomic advancement of the nation had made it a household brand in Nigeria.
The DG stated that the program “has continued to assert its relevance by being responsive to prevailing national needs as a dynamic organization.”
General Ahmed continued that the program has partnered with a number of organizations, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Access Bank, Unity Bank, Gombe State University, Nasarawa State University, and the NYSC Foundation, among others, in its effort to improve the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development program.
He said that the cooperation has provided certain corps members with financial empowerment and technical help as start-up money to launch their enterprises in accordance with the skills they developed while serving.
The project has a number of difficulties, some of which were highlighted by the DG, such as substandard corps lodges, inadequate orientation camps, and a lack of cars for corps member inspection.
