The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Maj.-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, said that the scheme is aiming at producing entrepreneurs who will drive the economic development of the country.
Kazaure disclosed this on Thursday in Enugu during a working visit at the NYSC orientation camp in the state.
The Director General, who was represented by the Director, Corps Mobilisation, Mrs Nnenna Ukonu, said that NYSC aimed to achieve the feat through the Skills Acquisition and Empowerment Development (SAED) scheme.
He said that the SAED was introduced to make corps members self-reliant, productive and job creators with a view to opening the economy.
Kazaure appealed to the corps members to take advantage of the scheme to leave impressive footprints at the place of their primary assignments during the service year.
He said that the NYSC was passionate about skills acquisition and entrepreneur development, adding that the corps members would have no reason relying on their parents after going through the scheme.
“Everything you learn here will be useful to you even after your service year. There is no limit to what you can achieve. You should be very serious so as to make a better future for your children.
“We are passionate about skills acquisition. You have no reason to go back to your parents the same way you came after your service year,” he said.
He charged the corps members to strive hard to make the difference, adding that they would be more productive and helpful to the economy as entrepreneurs.
“The spirit we are putting in you will make you be like Innosson, Dangote, Tony Elumelu and other successful entrepreneurs in Nigeria.
“Do not leave the place of your primary assignment the way you met it. Do not seek relocation because you do not know the condition of the place you are relocating to,’’ Kazaure said.
Earlier in an address, the Enugu State NYSC Coordinator, Alhaji Ahmed Ikaka, said that the corps members were responding to the various programmes in the camp.
He said that the challenges in the orientation camp which bothered on decay of infrastructure were hampering the day to day activities of the camp.
He solicited for the assistance of the Director General in addressing the issues.
“The camp activities are going on well in terms of sports, social activities, skills acquisition and the general orientation.
“However, light in this whole area has been a problem. The best solution to the power issues in the camp is for the camp to have power supply independent of the community,” he said.
Ikaka also solicited for the assistance of the management of the scheme to enable them buy diesel and petrol which they heavily relied on.
“We also want to state that this is the only camp in the country that does not have a utility vehicle.
“This has been a big challenge that has forced us to outsource vehicles when there is such need. These are the areas where we want the DG to intervene,’’ Ikaka said.