Adetola Bademosi, Abuja
On Tuesday, the Federal Government (FG) disclosed plans to invest N14 billion in improving corps members and NYSC staff welfare.
It said the document containing other reform proposals has been submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari and awaiting assent.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, disclosed at the opening ceremony of the 2023 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Annual Management Conference theme: “Optimising the Operations of NYSC @ 50 for National Development”.
He expressed confidence that the proposal would receive a positive response.
His words: “It is for us to increase and improve the quality of our corps members’ uniforms, their bicycle allowance, their feeding allowance, and compensation to the staff.
“All of that has been done and has gone to the relevant ministry and finance.
“I am sure that as it makes its way to the presidency, it will get a positive response that will see an injection of N14 billion into the corps and staff welfare for the NYSC,” he said.
While urging the scheme to come up with reforms that would make it better than what it was presented, he said one of the major components of the NYSC Trust Fund was to extend the Skills Acquisition Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme carried out during the orientation course from three weeks to one year.
He stressed the need to carry Nigerian youths along in decision-making processes at all levels, saying that the nation could not afford to neglect them.
“We also need internal reforms because we deal with a very sensitive population; since the EndSARS happened no segment of this country can ever or should ever ignore the youth of our country.
“The youth of this country deserve investment in skills but also those of us entrusted with taking care of them must be sensitive to their needs and the issues that are affecting them today,” said the minister.
Earlier, the Director-General of NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed said this year’s conference edition was special as it took place when the scheme was close to celebrating its 50th anniversary.
He also said since the establishment of NYSC in 1973, it had remained a reference point for other organisations owing to its vital role in promoting national unity and integration.
“It is also a reference for peaceful co-existence among Nigerians of diverse socio-cultural backgrounds and free labour movement.
“The contributions of the scheme in the areas of health, education, rural infrastructure, culture and tourism, sports, the conduct of elections, population census, and job creation, amongst others, are enormous.
“They have earned it commendations from within and outside the country,” he added.
Ahmed, while commending all stakeholders’ contributions to the scheme’s achievements so far, said the scheme would use the conference to consolidate and build on them by evolving new ideas for greater impact.
The director-general called on critical stakeholders to support the scheme addressing some of its challenges, adding that he also hoped the NYSC Trust Fund would be actualised soon.
