Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), Kebbi State, has trained 3,560 Corps members in the state under the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme of the scheme in the last eight years of the programme introduction.
The Head of Department of the SAED in Kebbi State, Alhaji Garba Fanna, stated this during a sensitisation programme for Corp members undergoing their three weeks orientation at the permanent orientation camp, Dakingari, Suru local government area.
The SAED, which was established in 2012, is set up to train and build the capacities of Corps members in twelve different skills including cosmetology, automobile, film and photography, ICT, interior decorations, construction, power and energy, among others.
While addressing Corps members, Fans said: “The skill acquisition component of SAED in Kebbi State is able to train at least three thousand, five hundred and sixty (3560) corps members, who have been certified in various skills”.
“The programme was designed to enable corps members to be self reliance through developing a good feasible business plan, with marketing strategies, product branding, financial management and Legal, which enable them to access bank loans ranging from one million to five million, from Bank of Industry (BOI), CBN, Credit Direct, Heritage Bank.
“Also the SAED department in Kebbi State in collaboration with NYSC foundation was able to obtain soft loan of N400,000 for 360 Corps members who have presented bankable business proposal,” he said
He added that the scheme was designed to prepare them for any job placement and to let them become employers of labour through entrepreneurship.