File: Some NYSC members

Mr Abdulrazak Salawu, FCT Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), on Saturday called for more investment in skills training in order to reduce unemployment among youths.

Salawu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that skills training would also propel the nation towards sustainable growth and development.

The coordinator was speaking on the side lines of the opening of the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme for the 2017 Batch ‘A’ corps members.

The programme, which held at the permanent orientation camp, Kubwa, was aimed at introducing new corps members on the SAED.

“The Federal Government spends a lot every year to mobilise corps members for the one-year national service and this shows great commitment to invest in the youth and the future of the nation.

“There is, however, the need to do more; government should take a step further by doubling its current investment in SAED.

“Many developed nations got to where they are today because they invested in their youths.

“We need to do more for our youths by training and re-training them on skills acquisition,’’ the coordinator said.

According to him, SAED would encourage youths to be self-employed, self-sufficient and eventually become employers of labour.

NAN reports that SAED was introduced by the NYSC in 2012 to complement the Federal Government youth’s employment strategies.

The programme trains corps members on skills like cosmetology, power and energy, horticulture, culture and tourism, construction, food processing, agro-allied and ICT among others.

After training, beneficiaries receive loans from the Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry, NYSC Foundation and other financial institutions to start businesses.

(NAN)8