Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has directed the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Nwobilor Ananaba, to promptly assess and restore the deteriorating structures and facilities at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp in Umunnato, Bende Local Government Area. This instruction came after a meeting with Gladys Adama, the state’s NYSC Coordinator, as reported.
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The governor expressed his dissatisfaction with the current state of the camp and urged the commissioner to collaborate with the NYSC coordinator to enhance the camp’s conditions, ensuring a safe and suitable environment.
Governor Otti reiterated his administration’s commitment to prioritizing the well-being of the people, including the corps members serving in the state.
Adama highlighted various issues with the camp’s facilities, such as cracked walls, leaking roofs, a collapsed perimeter fence, and the poor condition of the football pitch.
The move by the Abia State government comes weeks after the Federal Government announced its plan to comprehensively review, restructure, and reform the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to meet future demands.
Earlier, during the opening ceremony of the first meeting of NYSC management with heads of corps-producing institutions in Nigeria, held at the National Judicial Institute in Abuja, Minister of Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Ibrahim, announced that up to N10 million would be provided to fund entrepreneurial ventures for over 5000 corps members.
Allow me to briefly inform you about upcoming NYSC reforms. I’m happy to announce that I’ll be launching a team to review, restructure, and reform the NYSC. The initial focus will be on assessing participants with an entrepreneurial mindset and prioritizing skills development in the program.
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“We envision a future where NYSC programs are not only self-sustaining but also generate revenue within the next five years. To achieve this, we will establish NYSC ventures as an investment and asset management entity.
Additionally, as part of the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund program for 2024, I’m pleased to announce that at least 5000 corps members will receive funding of up to N10 million for their entrepreneurial ventures upon completion,” he said.
During his address, NYSC Director-General Brigadier General Yushau’ Ahmed welcomed leaders of institutions that produce corps members.
He explained that the meeting aimed to improve the mobilization process for prospective members.
Ahmed noted that the meeting’s objective was to develop strategies to address issues and streamline the mobilization process, following a previous meeting with heads of corps-producing institutions in West African countries.
