Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Fadah, has solicited the support of a former Head of State and founder of the scheme, General Yakubu Gowon, for the actualisation of NYSC Trust Fund.
The NYSC boss said the fund, when actualised, would boost the scope of the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme as well as empower more corps members to establish their vocational businesses.
He stressed that the trust fund would reduce unemployment among graduates and make them self-reliant in the face of scarce white-collar jobs.
Fadah spoke when he visited Gowon at his office yesterday in Abuja.
A statement by NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, said Fadah lauded the vision of Gowon for establishing the scheme.
The NYSC boss noted that the scheme had enabled millions of Nigerian young graduates to contribute their quota to national development.
He urged the scheme’s founder not to relent in offering useful advice for the progress of the NYSC in order to consolidate on its laudable achievements.
Gowon hailed the managers of the NYSC for sustaining his vision till date.
He said: “I understand you people are doing very well and people have been saying it and been reporting good about it. So, continue doing better.
“Thank you for coming to brief me on what you hope to achieve and build on the success of your predecessor, to ensure that the NYSC scheme continues to grow from strength to strength.”
The former Head of State praised successive batches of NYSC members for living up to the ideals that established the scheme.
“Let me also appreciate all of you corps members – present and past – for making this scheme a success. It is not me, it is all of you that are doing the work that make it so successful. You have a good director general and board supporting that,” he added.
