NYSC

The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr, has explained that the potential beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s student loan scheme would have to repay the loan two years after concluding the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

Sawyerr, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, said it is important for the loan to be paid back in time because other young people are on the queue to benefit from the scheme.

He acknowledged the challenge of unemployment in the country which could be a challenge to repaying the loan but said that the government is trying to address that through some other initiatives.

“There is 35 per cent youth unemployment in the country at the moment, there are other initiatives of the government that are seeking to address this. The truth about this is that we are giving loans to successful applicants; you need those loans to be paid back, why? One of the primary reasons we need those loans to be paid back is that there are people in the queue, there are other people wanting to get into the scheme and get loans. The term of repayment is two years after youth service, if and I reiterate if they have a job.

“This doesn’t meant that people can’t pay back early, there are some who get very lucky and they end with oil companies and banks and they are able to do that or they have an uncle somewhere who says I am going to liquidate your loan for you,” Sawyerr said.

The education loan fund secretary said people need the loan because they need better education to get good jobs that would enable them repay the loan at the end of their youth service.

Sawyerr said there won’t be need for any collateral, adding that the loan would vary according to course of study.

He some of the challenges with the loan would be addressed as the scheme progresses, adding that all is set for President Bola Tinubu to launch the scheme.

Meanwhile, the President in Niger State on Monday, said the much-awaited Student Loan Scheme and other programmes of his administration which ought to have commenced are being fined-tuned.

“The Student Loan Programme will commence. There will be employment benefits for our graduates. The social security programme for the elderly and vulnerable will commence. We are fine-tuning all of that.”

The President had last June signed the Access to Higher Education Bill into law to allow indigent students access interest-free loans to run programmes in any Nigerian tertiary institutions.

The loan is open to all Nigerian students in the nation’s higher institutions.

By Sylvanus Viashima,

JALINGO – The Taraba State Coordinator of National Youth Service Corps NYSC Mr Anthony Nzoka on Monday said that the Corps is seeking partnership with multiple groups to provide funding for Corps members to enable them startup businesses.

Nzoka disclosed this in Jalingo during the graduation of Corps members from the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development program.

He urged the Corps members to take the skills that they have acquired seriously as they may be their ticket to a better life and secured future.

” This aspect of the scheme has been an integral objective of the scheme from the onset but it only sometime in 2012. This training started on the 21st of February, and today, we are celebrating your successful completion.

“Today’s world is evolving and we must evolve to conform with contemporary realities. The population explosion means that there is added pressures on the available jobs. It is therefore imperative that we acquire practical skills that will aid in earning an honest living. You are introduced to the skills. Don’t assume that you are experts already. You have a long way to go. Continue the training after the orientation course.

“We are partnering with agencies for funding options which may be open to you for participation in the course of your service year. Every nation is as rich as the skills of her citizens. We are struggling as a nation because we do not have enough skills. As we grow in skills, we would surmount our challenges.

“I therefore urge you to strive to create employment for the upcoming generation through your skills. Focus on your skills and think of how best to deploy it for maximum impact” he said.

Dr Hannatu Joshua who is a graduate of Human Anatomy trained in making 3D floors. She said that the training is not only inspiring but also fun.

“This is the first time I am trying my hands on this and I am surprised how very easy it is. I am very happy with myself and will deploy the skills improving the aesthetics in my home and hope to develop more so that it will be an alternative source of income”.

Another Corps member Galadima Idris said that “in the course of this one week, I have learnt a lot more than I did in 8 years in the University. My course will now compliment me in this new found skill.

Similarly, Mr Ogunlade Oladapo Daniel
notes that “if the university system can take an example from SAED and the NYSC to make sure that students have as much practical knowledge in the course of study, our education system will be better for it”.

ABUJA- The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has reacted to a viral video of a female corps member who was asked to kneel in school.

The body said it is investigating the viral video which captured the corps member undergoing an embarassing punishment at her place of primary assignment.

The video showed the young being punished for an offence which was not clearly explained. She was allegedly forced to kneel down by a school proprietress.

According to the dialogue heard in the short footage, it seemed that the corps member was being punished for her failure to work.

From the NYSC member’s claims in her native Yoruba dialect, she said she had alluded to menstruation symptoms.

The proprietress argued that if she had explained, she would have understood because she is also a woman.

The video however infuriated Nigerians who alleged a habit among employers of bullying corp members at their place of primary assignment (PPA).

Katsina State Governor, Umaru Dikko Radda, has promised to employ medical doctors undergoing the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Katsina State if they are willing to remain in the state after completion of their service.

The governor also expressed his intention to employ corps members who excelled in special courses of study as classroom teachers.

The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, who disclosed this in a statement, said he made the pledge on Tuesday when he paid a courtesy visit to the NYSC State Director, Hajiya Aisha Mohammed, at the NYSC State Secretariat.

Gov Radda, while acknowledging the strong collaboration between NYSC and Katsina State, pledged to further strengthen the partnership by increasing support for the state office of the NYSC.

Recognising the imminent passing out of the corps members at the camp, Radda announced a donation of 50 bags of rice and a bull to support the upcoming ceremony.

Speaking earlier, NYSC State Coordinator Hajiya Aisha Mohammed expressed her support and readiness to collaborate with the Radda-led administration towards achieving common goals. She also seized the opportunity to invite Governor Radda to attend the passing out ceremony of the NYSC on August 4 this year.

Benin, – The Edo State Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs Foluke Oladeinde, on Monday said the scheme has fostered national unity and created balance across multi-ethnic groups in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the scheme which came into existence in 1973, allows university graduates a one-year compulsory service to their fatherland upon graduation.

Speaking during a five-kilometre walk to commemorate the NYSC @50 in Benin, Oladeinde said the scheme had provided manpower for both the public and private sectors, thereby contributing to the nation’s economy.

“We are celebrating NYSC @50 today and showcasing the remarkable achievements the scheme has made since inception.

“The scheme has promoted national cohesion and impacted the corps members positively through its primary assignments and community development services.

“The journey so far has been good; this is our five decades of fostering national unity and cohesion.

“The scheme has really achieved its aims and objectives. It has brought about discipline among the youths and exposed them to other cultures and traditions as most of the corps members serving in Edo are from the North, South West, and South East.

“We have seen situations where corps members inter-marry because they have learnt to appreciate each other’s way of life,” Oladeinde said.

According to her, NYSC has become a household name in Nigeria and has over time become a critical stakeholder in the nation’s electoral system.

The coordinator advised corps members to remain focused and be security conscious.

Miss Suliat Afolabi, a corps member serving in Edo, said the scheme has helped her to explore other states.

“All my life, I have been in my state in the south west. NYSC brought me to Edo and it has helped me to understand life better.

“Education is not a scam; it has brought me here to learn other people’s cultures and traditions. I have made a lot of friends since I came to Edo,” she said.

The corps members, led by their state coordinator, embarked on a five-kilometre walk in Benin to commemorate the 50th anniversary day celebration. (NAN) 

By Shedrack Frank

Yenagoa – The State Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Bayelsa, Mrs Obiageli Okpalifo, has described the scheme as the soul of the country.

Okpalifo said this in Yenagoa, while presentating the NYSC Act and Bye Law Lecture to the 2023 Batch A, Stream 1 corps members deployed in the state.

She said that the NYSC Act was enshrined in the Nigeria constitution.

​She, therefore, urged the corps members to read the documents to understand the provisions and punishment attached to each section of the contents.

​She admonished them to realise that, like any other laws, ignorance of the bye law is not an excuse.

She further urged them to read and internalise all NYSC literatures given to them on camp, in order to be abreast of the scheme’s activities, rules and regulations.

​The NYSC coordinator cited relevant areas in the two documents as they concern corps members during mobilisation, orientation course, primary assignment, secondary assignment and the winding up/passing out programme.

​She warned that those who flouted the laid down rules would be punished accordingly, while outstanding corps members would be rewarded at the end of the service year.

Okpalifo​ underscored the need for corps members to avoid any acts that could tarnish their records during the national assignment, adding that this could affect them in future. (NAN)

By Abbas Bamalli

Katsina, – The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Borno has awarded letters of commendation to seven camp officials for outstanding performances during the Batch “C” Stream 1 orientation course.

The NYSC Coordinator in the state, Mr Nura Umar stated this during the closing of the three-week orientation exercise, on Tuesday in Katsina.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that corps members deployed to Borno undergo their orientation course in Katsina due to the security situation in the state.

He said the scheme honoured the personnel for excellent performances, and motivate others to put in their best to fast track implementation of the orientation exercise.

“The personnel during the three weeks exercise exhibited good conduct and distinguished themselves from others, hence the need to motivate them to do more as well as motivate others to copy from them.” he said.

The Coordinator enjoined the corps members to remain calm as the security situation in the state had improved and advised them to always be vigilant.

According to him, the corps members has been exposed to security tips to guide them throughout their service period.

“So, they are all equipped with all the necessary information and they have been seriously told how to take care of their personal safety.

“We are all proud of Nigeria, and we are the ones to develop the country to the level we want,” he said.

According to him, the scheme is a platform through which corps members contribute their quarter to achieve that, adding the purpose of the scheme is to promote national unity, understanding and peaceful coexistence.

The Coordinator urged the corps members to respect the culture and religion of their host communities as well as collaborate with them to enhance Community Development Service (CDS).

He tasked them to be law abiding and good ambassadors of the scheme and their families.

He stressed the need for the corp members to use social media for positive purposes instead of promoting rumours, fake news, hatred and ethnic sentiments.

The Coordinator further urged corps employers to support them to enable them to realise their potentials, improve their welfare, and called on the corpers to utilise the skill acquired to engage in productive activities. (NAN) 

By Habibu Harisu
Sokoto, – The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Sokoto has imposed a repeat of service year on four corps members for allegedly absconding from duty, absenteeism and other sundry offences.

The NYSC Coordinator in the state, Alhaji Muhammad Nakamba, who disclosed this at the passing out of the 2021 Batch C, Stream 2 Corps members on Thursday in Sokoto, said that four others had their services extended by different periods.

Nakamba said that the scheme had zero tolerance for truancy and those caught engaging in such would be sanctioned appropriately.

According to him, a total of 482 corps members completed the service during the period and two corps members received the prestigious Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar awards for their outstanding contributions to development of their host communities.

The coordinator thanked Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto for his love and unparalleled support to the scheme in the state over the years, especially his commitment toward the sustenance of payment of allowances to corps members.

“I also seize this opportunity to thank the Sultan of Sokoto for his unflinching support to the scheme, this has aptly demonstrated his love for youths and NYSC in particular,” Nakamba said.

The Coordinator urged institutions to continue supporting corps members on business development plans and enterprises.

He urged the outgoing corps members to be good ambassadors of the scheme and also maximize the skill acquisition and entrepreneurship learnt during the service year. (NAN) 

Gunmen on Wednesday invaded the National Youth Service Scheme Corpers’ lodge located along Udo Ekong Ekwere street, off Information Drive in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State and raped women occupants.

It was gathered that the gunmen who stormed the area by 1 am that on tricycles carted away valuables including laptops, cell phones and cash.

Some of the corps members who spoke with newsmen the following morning lamented that there was no help anywhere during the attack despite the cry for help.

One of the corp members who identified himself as Emeka Emmanuel said, “They arrived on a tricycle, popularly called Keke and immediately started operation. They beamed high-intensity torchlight everywhere and pounced on every door with heavy iron and threatened to shoot us if we fail to cooperate”.

A female Corps member, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, while fighting back tears, said her phones, laptop, cash were forcefully taken away from her after the hoodlums gained entrance into her room from the back door.

“You know at that period of the night, most of us females, we used to sleep naked and the suddenness of the attack caught us unprepared. They beamed the torch through the window and threatened to shoot if the door is not quickly opened,” she explained.

“I have never heard of this anywhere in Nigeria, even in the North, where insecurity is at the highest peak, that Corpers could be deliberately targetted, raped, and robbed by criminals at gunpoint. Is it because we are not from Akwa Ibom that no one could hear our shouts and come to save us?”, another female colleague, lamented.

Mr. Nsikak Ibanga, a night guard at the State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists which is located opposite the corpers lodge said, “I raised alarm by hitting the supporting pillars holding the reconstructed NUJ auditorium,” adding that “the sound reverberated across the whole area but no response”.

Another neighbour, Bassey Offiong, said, “When I heard the attack and the outcry of the Corpers, I quickly reached out to the Police at Ikot Akpanabia Command, which is very close here, but they arrived a little late after the criminals had finished and left with their tricycle”.

Also, the Youth Leader of the area, Comrade Godwin Okpo, blamed incessant criminal activities around communities on the collapse of internal security organized by the local residents.

“I used to go round from house to house to collect monetary contributions for the vigilante group to secure the area at night, but suddenly they started accusing me of embezzling their money, so there was nothing I could do again.

He added, “When I heard the incident late in the night around 1:00 am this morning, I moved to the place but since I was alone, there was nothing I could do”, he said.

He blamed the inability of the youth to come out on noise of generators running into late night in most homes.

“I have told them that once it’s midnight, they should put off their generators so we can hear what’s happening in the neighborhoods,” he stressed.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, said he was yet to be fully briefed on the incident, adding that he would investigate and get back to our correspondent

He said, “I don’t have any information about the incident but I will find out and get across to you”.