The Minister of State for Youth Development, Hon. Ayodele Olawande has urged Corps members posted to Oyo state to subscribe to the acquisition and development of skills, through the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme on camp which is designed to equip young Nigerian graduates with additional value beyond certification.
The minister stated this during his visit to the Oyo State NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Iseyin, on Tuesday.
He expressed satisfaction and maximum joy to be amid Corps members whom he described as the future of the country and asserted that the youths of this nation are a formidable force to always be reckoned with.
Olawande equally applauded the comportment, attitude and discipline exhibited by Corps members, and admonished them to take the orientation programme seriously, especially, SAED and pledged start-up capital for the top five outstanding Corps members after the SAED training.
He encouraged them to believe in themselves and show commitment that they are ready to partner with the government to move this nation to an enviable height.
The minister said that the Tinubu administration is “working tirelessly to provide an enabling environment for the youth to thrive. When we have the right environment, then the youths will thrive.
“We need a country where the government will provide the right environment. We started a campaign called ‘One Local Government, On Product.”
Olawande, therefore, urged the Corps members to take time to develop and nurture skills useful in the long run.
He said, “One of the reasons for my coming to meet with the corps members is for engagement. We have over 2,000 youths here, we need someone to engage them. So I see this as an avenue to engage and talk to them. When you engage them, then you will know where to come in and help.”
He congratulated the Corps members on their swearing-in ceremony, donated 1.5 million naira to all the ten platoons and a cow.
He also commended the camp officials for the good job done in the orientation camp.
The minister said he believed strongly in the potential of the Corps members because they are still in their youthful age and with their contributions we can have the Nigeria of our dreams noting that the Ministry is working on ways where young people will be able to learn basic entrepreneurial skills online at no cost and get more start-ups benefits.
He added that the present administration is working hard to ensure Nigeria becomes a better place, a land of opportunities where every young person will be able to live their dreams.
On the NYSC scheme, the minister said he believes that NYSC still has a lot to achieve especially in the area of youth development and what the scheme needs is reforms to make a great impact.
He declared that the NYSC Trust Fund bill that was recently passed by the National Assembly will go a long way in the reorganisation of the NYSC scheme and the welfare of every Corps member will be well taken care of even after exiting the scheme through start-up grants and other benefits that would be accrued to youth development from the Trust Fund.
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