Sunday 30 October 2011
Thursday 27 October 2011
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND JOB CREATION IN NATION BUILDING: THE NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE CORP (NYSC) OF NIGERIA AS A ROLE MODEL
t is a well known fact that the youths are the
leaders of tomorrow in any nation. Every
good government formulates national
policies geared towards present and future
development which demonstrates its efforts in
seeing that the youths of today will have a better
tomorrow.
Lack of good national government policies
negates youth empowerment and brings about
unemployment and political thuggery.
In many third world countries today,
unemployment has pushed a lot of youths into
political thuggery and armed robbery. Political
leaders, instead of rehabilitating these youths,
prefer to invest in people and agencies that will
help them to perpetuate themselves in office for
many tenures.
Today, some third world countries have adopted
policies that will help the upcoming youths to
acquire technical skills geared towards self-
employment. They are also attracting investors
so as to create employment for the unemployed
graduates and upcoming youths who will
graduate from their different tertiary institutions.
One example of such youth empowerment and
job creation institution is The National Youth
Service Corp (NYSC) which was introduced in
Nigeria by the then military government under
Gen.Yakubu Gowon. Decree No 24 of 22nd May
1973 established the National Youth Service Corp
(NYSC) scheme in Nigeria.
The NYSC has four distinct phases which includes
Mobilization, Orientation, Primary Assignment/
Community Development Services and Winding
up activities/ Passing out Parade.
Those who enroll in the NYSC Scheme are
University and Polytechnic graduates. These
graduates are issued with call-up letters to enable
them report to their different States in the country
where they are posted. Upon arrival at the
orientation camps, their credentials are
thoroughly screened, after which they are
provided with different paramilitary kits which
they used in the different paramilitary exercises at
the three weeks orientation camp. After the three
weeks mobilization and orientation exercise in the
camp, the corps members are posted to different
organizations and schools for their primary
assignment to carry out their one year national
service. During their one year national service,
they indulge in different community development
services like environmental sanitation and a host
of others.
After completion of the one year national service,
corps members come together once more at the
orientation camp for their passing out military
parade before the NYSC and state government
officials. After the military parade and other
passing out activities, corps members are issued
each with a Certificate Of National Service which
enables them to fit into the labour market or to
enroll in higher academic institution for further
studies.
I would like to state here that during the service
year, corps members are paid allowances by the
federal government through some approved
banks in the country and their different
employers are also expected to pay corps
members who serve under them.
The aims of this NYSC scheme which includes to
inculcate discipline in youths and loyalty to the
nation, to raise morality in youths, to promote
national unity among youths irrespective of their
ethnic nationality in the country, to encourage the
corps members to seek career employment all
over the country, thus promoting the mobility of
labour, to induce employers to employ the
youths irrespective of their states of origin in the
country and finally, to enable youths acquire the
spirit of self reliance. Up till today, the NYSC
scheme is still active in Nigeria and some
amendments are being made by the Nigerian
government over the years to correct some
policies within the scheme to meet up with the
Millenium Development Goals.
The National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) in Nigeria
has helped a lot of Nigerian graduates to be self-
employed and to gain employment in many
organizations where they carried out their
national service. Even after they complete their
service year, many are being retained as full staff
in those organizations they served, thereby
encouraging youth empowerment and job
creation in Nigeria.
With such government policies like the NYSC, I
believe that the youths will have a better
tomorrow. I hope that such similar schemes, if
adopted by some other countries especially third
world countries, will help to curb unemployment,
empower the youth for positive actions and
promote national unity.
leaders of tomorrow in any nation. Every
good government formulates national
policies geared towards present and future
development which demonstrates its efforts in
seeing that the youths of today will have a better
tomorrow.
Lack of good national government policies
negates youth empowerment and brings about
unemployment and political thuggery.
In many third world countries today,
unemployment has pushed a lot of youths into
political thuggery and armed robbery. Political
leaders, instead of rehabilitating these youths,
prefer to invest in people and agencies that will
help them to perpetuate themselves in office for
many tenures.
Today, some third world countries have adopted
policies that will help the upcoming youths to
acquire technical skills geared towards self-
employment. They are also attracting investors
so as to create employment for the unemployed
graduates and upcoming youths who will
graduate from their different tertiary institutions.
One example of such youth empowerment and
job creation institution is The National Youth
Service Corp (NYSC) which was introduced in
Nigeria by the then military government under
Gen.Yakubu Gowon. Decree No 24 of 22nd May
1973 established the National Youth Service Corp
(NYSC) scheme in Nigeria.
The NYSC has four distinct phases which includes
Mobilization, Orientation, Primary Assignment/
Community Development Services and Winding
up activities/ Passing out Parade.
Those who enroll in the NYSC Scheme are
University and Polytechnic graduates. These
graduates are issued with call-up letters to enable
them report to their different States in the country
where they are posted. Upon arrival at the
orientation camps, their credentials are
thoroughly screened, after which they are
provided with different paramilitary kits which
they used in the different paramilitary exercises at
the three weeks orientation camp. After the three
weeks mobilization and orientation exercise in the
camp, the corps members are posted to different
organizations and schools for their primary
assignment to carry out their one year national
service. During their one year national service,
they indulge in different community development
services like environmental sanitation and a host
of others.
After completion of the one year national service,
corps members come together once more at the
orientation camp for their passing out military
parade before the NYSC and state government
officials. After the military parade and other
passing out activities, corps members are issued
each with a Certificate Of National Service which
enables them to fit into the labour market or to
enroll in higher academic institution for further
studies.
I would like to state here that during the service
year, corps members are paid allowances by the
federal government through some approved
banks in the country and their different
employers are also expected to pay corps
members who serve under them.
The aims of this NYSC scheme which includes to
inculcate discipline in youths and loyalty to the
nation, to raise morality in youths, to promote
national unity among youths irrespective of their
ethnic nationality in the country, to encourage the
corps members to seek career employment all
over the country, thus promoting the mobility of
labour, to induce employers to employ the
youths irrespective of their states of origin in the
country and finally, to enable youths acquire the
spirit of self reliance. Up till today, the NYSC
scheme is still active in Nigeria and some
amendments are being made by the Nigerian
government over the years to correct some
policies within the scheme to meet up with the
Millenium Development Goals.
The National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) in Nigeria
has helped a lot of Nigerian graduates to be self-
employed and to gain employment in many
organizations where they carried out their
national service. Even after they complete their
service year, many are being retained as full staff
in those organizations they served, thereby
encouraging youth empowerment and job
creation in Nigeria.
With such government policies like the NYSC, I
believe that the youths will have a better
tomorrow. I hope that such similar schemes, if
adopted by some other countries especially third
world countries, will help to curb unemployment,
empower the youth for positive actions and
promote national unity.
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