Former Head of State and founder of the National Youth Services Corps (NYSC) Dr. Yakubu Gowon has revealed that establishing the scheme was one of the most far reaching policies of his administration.
This is even as he gave assurance that President Muhammadu Buhari would soon assent to the NYSC Trust Fund Bill before leaving office.
Gowon stated this while commissioning the NYSC ultra-model information communication technology (ICT) complex on the occasion of the Scheme’s 50th anniversary at its headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, adding that the NYSC has remained a vital tool for fostering national unity.
Giving his keynote address, Gowon who commended the introduction of skill acquisition into the scheme’s curriculum said that has made the scheme a blessing to the country.
He said NYSC has become a cynosure for other organisations within and outside the country.
“This is due to its role in the promotion of national unity and integration, free movement of labour, enhancing manpower, improvement in education, effective participation in national assignments such as the conduct of the elections and projected population census, development of culture and tourism, job creation, rural development, provision of free healthcare among other benefits,” he said.
He urged the youth to pay serious attention to skill acquisition instead of looking for white collar jobs.
He also appeal to all Nigerians, corporate organizations, ministries, departments, and agencies of government to provide the necessary support to the scheme and also tasked the state government to set up and upgrade the facilities in their various camps in their states to make the three weeks orientation camps memorable. (Blueprint)
