An indigenous Civil Society Organization (CSO), Abuja Grassroots Advocacy Projects, has lobbied for the creation of a NYSC Trust Fund.
According to Abuja Grassroots, the fund’s creation will effectively complement the Federal Government’s efforts to pull 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
The organization’s Chief Advocate, Comrade Yunusa Ahmadu Yusuf, stated this on Wednesday during a NYSC Symposium in Abuja on the Importance of Establishing a Trust Fund for the Scheme.
Yusuf applauded the NYSC for the Trust Fund’s proposal, while also urged everyone to support its creation, which will help the Scheme to successfully address the twenty-first century’s rising economic issues and mobilize support for the Trust Fund’s creation.
He also praised the Scheme for providing a forum for individuals to learn more about the NYSC Trust Fund’s value and to propose suggestions to help it become a reality.
He feels that the resolutions agreed at the Symposium have the ability to change the narratives of both the NYSC Scheme and the teeming youth.
He asked the NYSC Management to keep pushing for the fund’s development and to widen the scope of the campaign.
One of the resolutions emphasizes the need of high-profile influencers such as the Scheme’s founding fathers, members of the Executive and Legislative branches of government, the private sector, youth organizations, and student bodies supporting a strong push for the Trust Fund’s realization.
It was also agreed that the Trust Fund should have explicit objectives in order to promote transparency, and that recipients should be chosen based on gender, geopolitical representation, and other relevant demographics in order to achieve the fund’s goals.
According to him, “The NYSC Trust Fund the realisation of the NYSC Trust Fund will effectively complement the Federal Government’s efforts in moving 100 million Nigerians out of poverty as those expected to benefit from the fund would be Corps members who have been trainedthrough the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Programme are expected to train and empower no fewer than five persons from their host Community.”
He said that the recommendation adopted during the NYSC symposium was laudable and should be supported by members of the National Assembly when the Bill for the establishment of the Fund would be presented to them for approval.
“We also want to appeal to President Muhammad to make the bill an Executive Bill when presented to the National Assembly. Because if passed into law, many Nigerians will benefit from it greatly,” he said.
