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David Arin

 

DAILY COURIER – A Civil Society Organisation, Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has again called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Trust Fund Bill that recently passed by the National Assembly.

Executive Secretary of CESJET Isaac Ikpa, who spoke at a news conference in Abuja, said provisions of the NYSC-TF would address challenges faced by the youthful population.

He said CESJET’s acceptance of the NYSC-TF was borne out of its rich provisions which touched on critical youth development and empowerment areas.

‘’It suffices to add that the NYSC-TF would serve as a game changer regarding youth development and empowerment in the country.’’

This much, he said, has been highlighted by stakeholders as well positioned to harness potential of youths. And we could not agree less, given peculiarities of the time and the need for government to explore ways to harness potential of youths in the quest for sustainable growth and development.

“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to give assent to signal a new beginning for youths in our quest for sustainable growth and development.”

“This is on the heels that the NYSC-TF has the potential to transform the lives of our youths by making them entrepreneurs and employers of labour. The strategic import of a positively engaged youthful population cannot be overemphasized.

“Youth empowerment can curb poverty. One of the keys to empowering the youth is skill development. When a youth is equipped with essential skills, they can use them to feed, assist others, and invest for future use, aiding the nation economically.

“The benefits of youth empowerment programmes are improved social skills, behaviour, academic achievement, self-esteem and self-efficacy. Youth empowerment plays a vital and significant role in poverty alleviation and eradication from society.

“It is our conviction that empowered youth focus more on the development of their skills to make it a better source of earning for them in the early stages.

“An empowered and dedicated youth works hard and creates employment opportunities for them to gain financial freedom and contribute to the economy of the country.

“As concerned stakeholders, we were a part of the process that culminated in the bill, just as many other civil society groups. Our involvement was essential to understand first-hand what the NYSC-TF aimed to achieve” he said.