The Federal Government has made arrangements with banks to provide corps members with funds for self-employment and empowerment ventures.
The chairman of the National Governing Board of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Gordon Bozimo, who announced the plan during a visit to the NYSC camp in Umunya, Anambra, said that the move was in line with the government’s efforts to reduce the prevalence of post-service unemployment.
“The initiative which is under the War Against Poverty (WAP) programme, aims to produce generations of young entrepreneurs who will play a pivotal role in the nation’s economy. This will go in line with the industrial revolution strategy launched recently by President Goodluck Jonathan,” he said.
Bozimo said the board would ensure that beneficiaries of the financial grants were equipped with adequate knowledge of business implementation strategies and management of small and medium scale enterprises.
The chairman further disclosed that the board was partnering with some banks to deploy mobile cash machines in all orientation camps nationwide and expressed the hope that the machines would address the challenges encountered by corps members in making cash transactions.
He advised the corps members to be of good character and be security conscious by limiting their movements within their areas of service.
“If you take your primary assignment seriously and you are able to get commendation either from the state secretariat, state government or your place of service, attesting that you are somebody of character, you could easily get a job.
“This is because Nigeria is becoming competitive; what is scarce in Nigeria is character and not first degrees any more. So if you have good character and attestation, your chances of employment are brighter,” Bozimo said.
Earlier in her address, the state co-ordinator of the scheme, Inyang Ekpe, commended the state government and other well-meaning individuals in the successful running of the camp.
Ekpe said that the 1,661 corps members deployed to the camp had shown strict compliance to rules and unparalleled eagerness to serve the nation.
She expressed the hope that the ongoing tour of camps by the chairman would provide lasting solutions to some challenges and redefine the NYSC fundamentals as envisioned by the founding fathers. (
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