NYSC DG advises prospective corps members on value- added services

PROSPECTIVE Corps Members ( PCMS) have been enjoined to add value to themselves and places of primary assignment, including host communities, during their service year.

Director- General, National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC), Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, stated this in his nationwide virtual address to 2021 Batch ‘ B’ Stream two PCMS and camp officials.

He advised them to study their host communities after the completion of their orientation course and initiate laudable projects that would improve their standard of living.

The DG, however, warned against executing projects with personal funds, urging them to source for funds from members of their host communities.

“Look round your host communities to identify their challenges and add value. Don’t pass through NYSC without adding value to it. Don’t pass through the community where you are going to serve without adding value to it. Choose projects that the community will appreciate, ” he said.

Ibrahim added that a prospective recipient of NYSC National Honours award must have excelled in all the four cardinal programmes of the scheme, including orientation course, primary assignment, community development service, winding- up/ passingout and also won the state Honours Award.

Ibrahim said corps members are expected to be patriotic and ready to serve wherever they are deployed to, without expecting anything in return.

He urged prospective corps members to use the opportunity of the orientation course to imbibe teamwork and leadership training, while also establishing friendship that will outlive the service year.

He also enjoined them to adhere strictly to all COVID19 protocols as provided in their orientation camps.

The DG called on PCMS to key into the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship

Development programme ( SAED) of the scheme, as it would enable them become employers of labour in the long run.

Ibrahim disclosed that the scheme had partnered Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry, Access Bank, Unity Bank, NYSC Foundation, among others, to provide soft loans to corps members to start their business vocations.

He added that efforts are on to establish National Youth Service Corps Trust Fund ( NYSCTF) that would give corps members access to funds to finance their vocations and also enhance operations of the skill acquisition programme of the scheme.