The National Youth Service Corps scheme has come to stay as there are no plans to scrap it .
The Minister of Youth Development and Sports, Mr. Solomon Dalong, said this in Lagos on Tuesday , adding that its merits outweighed its disadvantages.
Dalong spoke during an inspection tour of the Lagos State NYSC orientation camp in the Iyana Ipaja area of the state on Tuesday.
He noted that the scheme had not only enhanced the socio-cultural and ethnic integration in the country but had also promoted national unity.
“We cannot dismiss the gains of the NYSC scheme in integrating Nigeria; I will stand firmly for the sustenance of the system, to continue in its capacity-building of Nigeria citizens because, it is an indispensable aspect of diversifying our culture , ” he said
While pledging the Federal Government’s continued support for the scheme, the minister said that plan was in place to train interested graduates in skills acquisition after the mandatory one-year service.
He said such graduates would be provided with a start-up capital at the end of the training, which , according to him , would indirectly stimulate interest in education.
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“Apart from the basic orientation programme, the NYSC scheme should also move into including professional and enterprising programmes to support and motivate those who would not want to embrace public services in the country.
“After the mandatory one-year service, the Federal Government is planning an extension, to professionally train interested corps members in skill acquisition, enterprising and professional programmes.
“Corps members with keen interest would be retained and some financial token given to them as start-up capital in furtherance of their skill. This is because due to our research, we find out that people abandon school due to uncertainty of the future. Hence, we believe this would help reduce the unemployed graduate ratio and curtail pressure on white-collar job as a means to win the war against poverty.”
Dalong expressed satisfaction at the state of the Lagos NYSC orientation camp, and thanked the Lagos State government for its support for the scheme.
The minister, however, noted that inadequate facilities at the NYSC orientation camp was one of the challenges of the scheme.
Responding, the Director General of NYSC, Brig. Gen. Johnson Bamidele Olawumi, expressed gratitude to the minister for his visit and promised that his administration would do its best to uplift the NYSC scheme towards the economic growth and development of the country.
