NYSC@50: Add value to life with skill acquisition – Coordinator urges NYSC members

Mrs Mofoluwaso Williams, Kogi Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has urged corps members to strive hard to add value to their lives by acquiring skills while in national service.

Williams gave the charge during
NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) exhibition marking the Golden Jubilee of the scheme in Lokoja on Wednesday.

The coordinator said, “Since the inception of the NYSC, skill acquisition has credibly added value to the scheme as it had enabled corps members to acquire skills like bead making, tailoring, Agro Allied, Gele dying, make up, food processing, ICT and others.”

“SAED has also transformed many of your fellows from being job seekers to employers of laboour, providing them with permanent and reliable sources of income through skill acquisition during the course of national service.

“These have indeed, lessened total dependence of ex-corps members on white collar jobs, which are not readily available.

“Accordingly, on display in this exhibition today are products produced by corps members, through the training gained from SAED, which clearly reflects and attests to some of the values added to the lives of our educated youths, as they obey the clarion call.”

She said that the exhibition was “aimed at protecting the positive impact of the NYSC on the lives of our youths as the scheme turned 50.”

Earlier, Head of SAED, Mrs Patience Eguaikhide, explained that all the products in display at the exhibition were solely produced by corps members trained through SAED.

Eguaikhide said that NYSC was producing big time Business moguls that in the near future would compete with the likes of Dangotes, Rabius and Adenugas in the business circle in Nigeria.

Prince Emmanuel Jonathan, one of the exhibitors, said that he had two apprentices under him in his shoe making shop.

“Some of my shoes cost me between N3,500 and N4.000 to produce while I sell each of them at prices between N6,000 and N6,500.

“While I am appreciative to the NYSC scheme for the opportunity and skill offered to me, I pray for the financial muscle with which to expand my business to assist my family,” Jonathan said.