News Editor
From Dooshima Terkura Makurdi
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has on Tuesday flagged off the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme for Batch ‘B’ Stream 1 corps members posted to Benue.
Speaking at the flag off ceremony of the in-camp training at the NYSC permanent orientation camp in Wannune, Tarka Local Government Area, the SAED National Director, Mr Kehinde Aremu urged corps members to utilize the opportunities provided by the scheme through SAED to become job creators.
Aremu who was represented by the Camp Director, Mr Edwin Oghanze explained that SAED was established to cater to the needs of corps members, providing them with the opportunity to learn various skills that would be immensely beneficial even after their service year.
“The NYSC SAED initiative contributes significantly to reducing poverty and hunger, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“It provides Nigerian graduates with opportunities to develop skills during their orientation camp and service year,” he explained.
He noted that the rate of unemployment in the country was high, advising them that it was in their best interest to acquire skills in order to beat joblessness after national service.
“The significance of acquiring skills In today’s world cannot be overemphasized as we continue to face high unemployment rates, driven in part by the growing number of graduates without corresponding job opportunities.
“The over-reliance on limited white-collar jobs has prompted the establishment of the SAED initiative so that graduates can be self sufficient after service year”, Aremu explained.
Aremu therefore, detailed 11 business skills available to Corps members and encouraged them to explore these options rather than pursuing elusive paid employment.
He also highlighted financing opportunities created by the NYSC, such as the Access Bank business proposal competition and the NYSC/Bank of Industry Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (GEF), which provide guidance and funding for viable business ideas.
In her address, the State Coordinator, Mrs Veronica Garba who was also represented by the Camp Director, Oghanze lauded the SAED programme, saying that it was a lifetime opportunity.
Garba urged Corps members to invest their time and resources in acquiring skills that would sustain them during and after the service year.
She advised them to pick a skill they had passion for in order to pursue it with vigor, warning that they must not look at the SAED training as a waste of time as it would come handy after their service year.
The highlights of the event were playlets by corps members and motivational talk by James Ogaba of Jamesmike Integrated Farms who encouraged corps members to embrace the slogan of ‘One Corps Member, two Skills’
