The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has called on the executive to propose a bill for the establishment of a Trust Fund to provide business start-up capital for corps members.
Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, the NYSC director-general, made the call at a three-day stakeholders symposium organized by the scheme in Abuja.
The symposium was held to discuss the imperatives of establishing an NYSC Trust Fund and also draw attention to the need to set up the fund as soon as possible.
It was organized with the theme “Consolidating the Gains of the NYSC in Youth Empowerment and National Development in the Face of Current Economic Realities: The imperatives of a Trust Fund”.
Ibrahim said if established, the trust fund would help address youth unemployment as corps members provided with business start-up capital, can become employers of labour.
“We have already made this proposal to the Federal Government and we are waiting for response.
“The symposium was held to further cement our position on the need to establish an NYSC Trust Fund, ask the government to support this initiative, and sensitize Nigerians and stakeholders on the aim of the trust fund.
“The scheme introduced the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to provide corps members with skills that will benefit them after they exit the service.
“NYSC, however, faces the challenge of funding this programme and providing corps members with start-up capital that they can use to start businesses after learning these skills,” Ibrahim said.
The NYSC director-general said to address the challenge, the scheme is, therefore, agitating for the establishment of an NYSC Trust Fund.
He assured that disbursement of funds from the venture and subsequent use by corps members would be strictly monitored by the scheme.
According to Ibrahim, these funds will enable them to establish businesses based on the skills they have acquired. Corps members will not only be the beneficiaries of this Trust Fund as they can take many other Nigerians off the unemployment market.
“Another thing worthy of note is that many of these corps members will establish their businesses in their state of service not their state of origin, thereby promoting national integration and wealth creation.
“The symposium is, therefore, an opportunity for stakeholders to share knowledge and experience on how best the Trust Fund can be conceptualized.
“The outcome of the symposium will be forwarded to the government and we have sent a letter to that effect. I can assure you that once this is achieved, Nigerians will be happy. These corps members will do a lot for our country.
“It is time for Nigerians to appreciate that corps members are doing a lot for our country,” Ibrahim said.(NAN)