Mr Rotimi Adeleye, Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ondo State Command, has urged all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to adopt the scheme’s Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme for human capacity development.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that SAED is an initiative of the NYSC, aimed at equipping corps members with vocational skills that will be of immense benefit to them after service.
NAN also recalls that NYSC was created on May 22, 1973, by the then Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon.
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In an interview with NAN on Monday in Akure during one of the activities commemorating 47th anniversary of the scheme, Adeleye advised all ministries, departments and agencies of government to replicate SAED to enhance capacity building.
He said that the active role played by NYSC to curtail the spread of coronavirus was a demonstration that, if given necessary support and encouragement, corps members could turn the economy around for the good of the country.
“Honestly speaking, many of us, who passed through the scheme, know that NYSC has adequate human resources to make our economy work again, but what the corps members need is the right environment to showcase what their potentials.
“I have been to orientation camps severally, and the seriousness with which the managers of the scheme handle the SAED programme is enough for the government to expand its scope.
”If the citizens are not opportune to visit the camp during orientation course to see what these patriotic Nigerians are doing, what we have seen or witnessed since the outbreak of COVID-19 tells us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
Adeleye said that fabrication of machines and production of materials, such as hand sanitiser, face masks and liquid soap, was enough evidence that the corps members could take the country out of the economic mess in which it had found itself.
“I am happy that the present Director-General of NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim is intensifying enlightenment and sensitisation about the correct ways of wearing the uniform.
“Many uniformed government agencies and organisations have changed their uniforms severally but NYSC has, since its inception, maintained its identity, which is the uniform and this is commendable,” he said.