Let your skill define who you are, Ani tells Corps members

IKARE-AKOKO, Ondo, Nigeria – The NYSC Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani has charged graduate youths to allow the benefits derivable from the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to define what they want to be.

The State Coordinator made the statement when she flagged off the SAED activities for the 2021 Batch ‘B’ (Stream II) service year at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ikare-Akoko. Mrs Ani said that prospective corps members should enhance their marketability by embracing the skill acquisition programme of the NYSC which was designed to reduce to the barest minimum unemployment rate in the country.

“Prospective corps members, the reality on ground shows that the various academic certificates you are holding needs to be enhanced so that you can become employers of labour and not job seekers. Your education will stand in good stead to navigate through the uncertain economic environment which has hampered human activities.

“NYSC in her wisdom has come up with a lasting solution that will encourage members of the service corps to key into SAED components of the orientation course and learn skills or vocations that will make you independent while in service and transform your lives as captains of industries and established entrepreneurs in the foreseeable future”.

She encouraged the prospective corps members with the success story of great entrepreneur like Tony Elumelu.

“The population of Nigeria is put at over 200 million and the jobs for the productive strata of the society, that is people within the range of 25 and 60 years are not readily available but you can take yourself and your loved ones out of poverty just like many who embraced SAED and today, they have signatures in establishments that are employing several thousands of Nigeria” she concluded.

In her welcome remarks, the Assistant Director/Head, SAED, Mrs. Itohan Ehimwenma expressed worries over the rate of unemployment which has grown beyond 22% according to 2020 statistics released by Bureau of Statistics of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity.

Mrs. Ehimwenma said that the prospective corps members should invest their time on the in-camp and post-camp trainings so that they would have something to lean on when the reality of the times dawn on them.

She appreciated all the Trainers and Facilitators for the individual sacrifices and commitment they put into training the members of the service corps to become useful and reliable members of the society. The flag off ceremony witnessed the testimonies from serving and ex-corps members who are doing well in their chosen skills and vocations.