Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, has advocated for establishment of National Youth Service Trust Fund to cater for financial empowerment of corps members as they pass out from service.
He said this would help them to establish their vocational businesses with the skills they acquire from the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Programme in the course of service.
Gen. Ibrahim made the call, yesterday, when he paid a courtesy visit to former Head of State and founder of NYSC, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, at his residence in Abuja.
He said establishment of the trust fund would also reduce the level of unemployment among the youths and curb crime rate in the country.
The NYSC boss revealed that since 2012 when the scheme introduced skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development department into its orientation course content, it has partnered with Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry and other financial institutions with regard to offering credit facilities to corps members to establish their businesses.
The DG restated the need to expand the capacity of NYSC orientation camps to be able to accommodate the ever-increasing corps population. He also called for regular maintenance of the camp facilities.
On the trust fund, Gen. Ibrahim said: “The funding will come from a certain percentage of profit accruing to some corporate bodies, and such funds can be used to expand NYSC orientation camps and renovate the camp facilities.
“Introduction of the fund will take a lot of financial burden off the state governments.”General Gowon commended the DG for his foresight, which has reinforced the relevance of the scheme.
He appreciated corps members for their intervention in the health and education sectors, as well as the creditable roles they play during national assignments, especially in the curtailment of the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The former Head of State promised to liaise with relevant arms of government to ensure that the director-general’s request becomes a reality.