The World Bank has expressed its intent to collaborate with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to address the increasing rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria. This announcement was made by the World Bank’s Country Director, Ndiame Diop, during a courtesy visit to the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters in Abuja.
Key Highlights
World Bank’s Support for NYSC
Diop acknowledged the transformative impact of the NYSC in promoting national development, especially in rural areas, over the past 51 years.
He praised the contributions of Corps Members in reducing infant and maternal mortality rates, fostering national unity, and driving socio-economic development.
He reaffirmed the World Bank’s interest in supporting NYSC’s initiatives.
NYSC’s Achievements
Director-General Brigadier General Y.D. Ahmed lauded the synergy between NYSC and the World Bank, which has enhanced staff capacity building.
Corps Members have played vital roles in national programs such as:
Elections.
Population censuses.
Immunization campaigns.
Public sensitization efforts.
Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED)
Introduced in 2012 to empower Corps Members with vocational skills, the SAED program has trained over 2 million Corps Members, with 600,000 successfully establishing businesses across the country.
Partnerships with institutions like CBN, Bank of Industry, Access Bank, and others have facilitated loans for Corps Members to kickstart businesses.
Challenges Facing NYSC
Inadequate start-up capital for Corps Members post-training.
Lack of standard skill acquisition training centers in some orientation camps.
General Ahmed emphasized the importance of partnering with the World Bank to scale up efforts in reducing youth unemployment. This collaboration is expected to strengthen ongoing initiatives and provide critical resources to enhance NYSC’s capacity in equipping Nigerian youths for self-employment and economic independence.
