Gabriel Dike
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and key partners of the scheme are meeting in Lagos to review and also map out new strategies to improve corps members’ orientation programme.
The Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim said the workshop was a forum for NYSC managers and partners to tackle identified challenges encountered during previous orientation programmes and ways of improving on the one scheduled for this month.
The DG said the theme: ”Reinvigorating the NYSC orientation course for a successful service year,” was informed by the desire to sustain proper induction and preparation of eligible graduates for hitch-free service.
According to him, the scheme is working tirelessly towards the successful conduct of the 2019 Batch ‘B’ orientation course nationwide and that the workshop would help to fine-tune arrangements and policy guidelines for the successful execution of the course by stakeholders.
General Ibrahim reminded stakeholders that the NYSC Act put the provision and maintenance of orientation camps on the state government.
”This reminder has become necessary in view of the current dilapidated condition of many orientation camps and the inadequate facilities in others across the country.
”I wish to renew our appeal to the state government to rise to the occasion by providing permanent camps and upgrading facilities as necessary.”
He acknowledged the contributions of the Lagos State government towards the success of NYSC in the state and the partnership of Lagos State Employment Trust Fund with NYSC aimed at providing start-up business capital for corps members involved in skill-acquisition and entrepreneur development training.
Declaring the workshop open, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the pre-orientation workshop was meant to prepare NYSC camp officials across the federation for the task of ensuring a hitch-free orientation exercise for incoming corps members.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, stressed that the workshop would also serve to harmonise relations between government and NYSC camp officials as well as enhance the benefit of the scheme as the largest youth mobilisation strategy in Africa.
The governor commended the DG, staff of NYSC and corps members nationwide for the contribution towards the success of the 2019 general election.