A youth forum, Democracy Youth Roundtable, has advised the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), to use its 3-week orientation camping, for vocational skills training of graduates to promote self employment.
The group made the call on Friday in Abuja, during a news conference on the “Place of the Nigerian Youth ” as the nation marks its 63rd Independence Anniversary.
Amb. Desmond Agboola, Convener of Democracy Youth Roundtable, who spoke on behalf of the group, said the prevailing challenges facing the Nigerian youth, demanded that existing government policies and programmes affecting them should be reviewed.
According to him, the quest for a prosperous and developed nation can only be possible through youth empowerment and involvement in leadership.
He said the NYSC scheme was a critical programme that needed to be reviewed, to address the challenges of unemployment facing the Nigerian graduate of today.
“I have talked about the NYSC scheme in different places, that instead of the one year job, it should be focused on a 3-week training on vocational jobs.
“ Our graduates should be trained on things they can do even after the one year compulsory service, because everybody cannot be employed into government parastatals.
“But government can use that method to create jobs for the youth so that they can be self –employed, by converting the 21 days orientation camp to a period of skills acquisition.
“It can even be extended to two months so that the youth can aquire skills such as shoe making and other handwork, and the government will give them grants support.
“It is not enough to say the Government should provide jobs, how can the government provide jobs, it’s only by empowering the youth through various vocational training,” he said.
Agboola also commended President Bola Tinubu for youth inclusiveness in his government, adding that the appointment of youths has inspired them to become genuinely interested in the affairs of the country.
He also lauded the president for unbundling the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development into separate ministries.
“I want to thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for separating this ministry and to see how the youth can be involved in this ministry as well.
“There is a whole lot of way the government can be involved and help in understanding the problems of the Nigerian youth,” he said.
